


Tigris

by ImperialMint



Series: sun kicks the moon off the mountain [marcoace week 2015] [1]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Akuma no Mi | Devil Fruit, M/M, Resurrection, Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-21
Updated: 2016-08-22
Packaged: 2018-04-05 10:56:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 43,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4177212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImperialMint/pseuds/ImperialMint
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of events are set in motion after a throwaway sentence in an old book changes everything. Ace now has to deal with the fact that he's apparently just come back from the dead (and no, he's not thinking about that right now thank you very much), multiple people informing him his 'tall, blond, about your height' brother stopped by (really, did anyone stay dead anymore?), and the possibility that he no longer has a family to go back to (on account of getting them all killed at Marineford).</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Day 1 of MarcoAce week 2015! The prompt was fire, and the mera mera no mi totally counts.
> 
> This got a bit too long so it'll be weekly updates. I've been wanting to write this for a long time, so I'm really happy I finally got the opportunity to.
> 
> Thank you to [lunarshores](http://lunarshores.tumblr.com/) for betaing, and I hope you all enjoy!
> 
> Also just for clarification - everyone lives happily in the end. No one stays dead (except Whitebeard... and bad people...)

Setting a book on the table, Sabo reached for his bag. He could feel Koala looking at him, and he shot her a glance over his shoulder, snuffing the candle on his desk out and taking a step to balance himself as a particularly large wave wobbled the boat.

“I never thought you’d actually do it,” she said, though there was only humour and hope in her voice. She knew how much this meant to Sabo, and he was thankful of her friendship.

“I’ve faced worse odds before,” he muttered, eyes scanning his shelf for moisturiser and shoving it in his bag. “Besides, who knows who I’ll bump into?”

Koala shared his grin. The news had just come in, and they’d had a small celebration. Sabo knew that Koala was looking forward to seeing Robin again, and the best way to do that would be to set sail for the New World. Even if they didn’t meet at Dressrosa, at least they would be on the same ocean.

They were taking a risk, Sabo knew. He could see the worry in the tense way Koala held her shoulders, but she wouldn’t bring it up further. Sabo had made it clear what he was going to do, and those who had wanted to disagree had disagreed back then. Sabo was going to do this, no matter what, and there had conveniently been a mission in the same place. Whether or not it was a coincidence or something planned, Sabo wasn’t sure, and he certainly wasn’t going to find out.

Grabbing one last book, Sabo slung his bag on his back and prepared to follow Koala out of his cabin. They had a lot to do before now and Dressrosa, but hope flared bright and warm in his chest.

“Wait for me Luffy,” he whispered to the waves as they set sail. “Ace,” he added, a smile curling his lips.

There was no going back now, and Sabo felt the book in his bag weight heavy against his back.

**.**

He’d been having a nice dream, Ace thought. He’d been dreaming of the ocean, of being lulled in his sleep, and he’d been peaceful. There might have been other people there, but Ace couldn’t really remember, the dream slipping away as he became more and more aware of the real world.

He was really tired, Ace thought, and frowned, refusing to open his eyes. He wanted to go back to sleep. He was too hot, there was no cooling sea breeze, and he was too tired. He grunted as he shifted, pain lancing through his entire body.

“Fuck,” he hissed, voice barely a whisper. Ace opened his eyes and groaned in pain, muscles aching. What the fuck had he been doing? He hadn’t ached like this since his welcoming party as the official second division leader, not even in his toughest fights. Drunk dancing was the worst, and many of them had flopped around the next day, complaining of aching limbs.

“Fuck,” he said again, and this time it was a little stronger. The world began to focus around him, and Ace noticed that he was lying in a strange, burnt hole. Had he been in a fight? Usually his devil fruit power protected him from hurting this much, but maybe he’d hit his head or something. Maybe he’d forgotten and-

Ace took a steadying breath as memories began to creep. There was the darkness, first and foremost, nothing like the dream he’d been having. So that was it then? He’d failed against Teach, but he’d won in the end. That was it, right?

Where was Teach then? If Teach wanted him that badly (why? Ace couldn’t grasp the memory just yet, but he knew it was important), then why was he just here in this burnt hole?

Ace made a noise of frustration and shifted onto his side. He wanted to get up, but he didn’t think his body could handle it yet, so he remained lying down, staring out at an expanse of grass, the sea not far behind. It brought a smile to his face and, oddly, tears to his eyes. Or at least tears would have come if he wasn’t so dehydrated.

It was a while before Ace moved. He stayed still, taking deep breaths to try and steady the unsettled feeling in his stomach, watching the waves of the ocean. They calmed him, and Ace felt unexplained panic fade slightly. He gathered strength like this, he thought, and each breath made him feel stronger.

Part of him never wanted to move ever again, and Ace was strangely content with that thought. He could just lie here, he thought, and think of nothing but the ocean. It was impractical, though, and Ace grimaced as he was suddenly aware of how much he needed the toilet. His stomach also decided to hit him full force, and it growled noisily, in a way it hadn’t since before he was able to hunt and kill his own meals. He was starving, he realised absently, and began to push himself up, the panic creeping back in when he looked away from the waves.

“Come on,” he said to his body, tucking trembling legs under himself and pushing up with effort. “You can fucking stand,” Ace said with disgust, and while his muscles burnt and ached, he managed to stand, chest heaving at the effort. He was sweating too, and Ace was suddenly very glad he was alone. He wouldn’t want anyone to see him like he was now.

Ace looked around, hoping that he was near a town or something – he’d even take a forest, animals lived in forests – and sighed when he noticed an obvious lack of those things, at least in the close vicinity. He really needed to pee, though, so he relieved himself after a very quick glance around, deciding that enough was enough when he zipped up. He’d had enough of this crater, and while the front was shallow and allowed him to look out at the sea, the rest of the crater was quite deep. A few bits of rubble lay here and there, and Ace frowned at what looked like a charred bouquet.

That was when he really had a look around. What he’d assumed to be a rock towering over his crater was a strange, square stone, and Ace’s eyes widened when he saw what was placed on top of it. He would recognise that coat anywhere, even if he was looking at it from the side, and Ace scrambled out of his little crater, stumbling and crawling until he was face-on with the rock.

EDWARD NEWGATE the rock proclaimed, and Ace’s breath caught. He let his body sink to the ground and just lay there, eyes fixed on the words carved into the gravestone. They proudly proclaimed how great a father Whitebeard had been, and Ace had never felt grief like this, at least not since Sabo had died.

He took a deep, ragged breath, dry-heaving as he sobbed. His eyes pricked with tears, though none fell on account of his dehydration. It wasn’t fair! Whitebeard couldn’t be dead, he shouldn’t be dead, how had he-

Ace let out a moan, burying his face into the grass. He could feel insects crawling over him, feel the grass tickling his skin as a small breeze picked up, and he could hear the sea. None of that did anything to ease his discomfort, his grief, and Ace wondered if he’d ever find it in himself to stand up.

He knew it wasn’t just Whitebeard’s grave that was here. He knew it wasn’t because of Teach that he was here. He knew.

Ace let his eyes slide shut, chest clenching painfully as he remembered Akainu – remembered Luffy’s face and the way his arms had shook, not quite holding him as he’d struggled to comprehend what was happening – and remembered the way the world had blared in a fury of sorrow, quieting as he’d fallen forwards.

He had died, Ace knew. That was certain, and the proof was right before his eyes. The rubble around him was his grave (Ace could make out a few letters, and he could see the wood of a coffin scattered around, silk lining charred and waving uselessly in the wind). He’d been buried next to his father, who had also died because of Ace.

Ace didn’t want to open his eyes ever again. What was the point? He had died. He had no idea what he was now, he might be a ghost or some zombie for all he cared. Ace didn’t want to be alive; that was the point, and his fingers dug into the ground, as if Ace could bury himself once more.

“No,” he whispered, and an anguished moan escaped past his lips. He didn’t care that the sound grew, anger and hurt mixing with the sorrow, and Ace felt a familiar sensation build under his skin.

The sensation brought Ace back, and he opened his eyes wide. He could feel his fire, the power of the mera-mera no mi, and he let tiny flames flicker on the back of his hand for a moment. His fire felt a little strange, out of practice perhaps, but it was there. His fire was something familiar, something comforting, and Ace knew then that he hadn’t lost everything.

Of course he hadn’t. Ace had always known that there was so much more. He simply hadn’t been able to see it before, but his fire had cleared his mind a little, allowing Ace to remember that he hadn’t been alone for a very long time. Even if the remaining Whitebeard pirates (and fuck, how many others had died just for Ace? Was it not enough he’d taken their father from them all?) hated him, there was still Luffy to think of.

Luffy, who was all alone without any brothers anymore. Luffy who had destroyed Impel Down and brought war in his wake. Luffy, who had watched Ace die right in front of him. He assumed Luffy was still alive, for he’d surely be buried next to Ace if not. Worry clawed at Ace, and he bit the inside of his cheek.

Even if the Whitebeard pirates (were they still called that?) didn’t want to see him, Ace had to see them. He needed to know who had died because of him, but – more importantly – he needed to know who lived. Ace didn’t know how much time had passed, but Whitebeard’s gravestone didn’t look new, and there were no fresh flowers around the graves that could have marked their funeral.

So it wasn’t as if burying Ace had been a mistake. He grimaced, risking a look down at his chest, and winced at the skin there. It was strangely soft, though thick at the same time. There were patches of dry skin in places, and his skin twisted, mottled, in an almost perfect circle. Shame curled in his stomach at having lost the mark on his back, but his sacrifice had been worth it. Luffy was alive, and Ace would die a thousand times over if he could save Luffy.

His initial grief had passed now, and Ace was able to think a little more clearly. He knew he was dead, knew Whitebeard was dead, and knew he had things to do before he could take on his grief again and deal with it. Ace needed to do something, needed to see Luffy and the Whitebeard pirates, before he could fully accept everything.

Even more, he needed to understand what had happened to him. Ace had no idea if this was temporary, if he was some sort of ghost, or if he was alive again for real. He wasn’t sure any of that mattered, and took a deep breath, shaking his head against the grief threatening to claw back.

No, he thought. He needed to see if Luffy was okay. He needed to see if the rest of his crew were okay. Then he could do whatever needed to be done – grieve, come back to this island to waste away, move on, Ace didn’t fucking know – but not until then.

“Who do you think you are!” a voice suddenly shrieked, and Ace jolted. That probably ruled out the ghost theory, he thought, and glanced at the small group of people gathered nearby. They remained as far away as they could from the crater he had burnt in the ground (had he literally exploded out of his grave? Ace thought it looked that way, now he really had a look), eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“This is a sacred ground!” the voice shrieked again, and Ace saw a small woman before the others, a sword at her hip and scowl on her face. Her hair was a tangled mess, blonde in colour, and, for some reason, she reminded Ace of Dadan. Despite her anger, her presence, and the other people’s presence, settled Ace, rooted him to his task, and he felt the reality of what he had been through (survived?) cling to the back of his mind.

“What was that explosion for? How dare you destroy this sacred site?” The woman’s fury was fuelling the crowd, and Ace shook his head. He wanted to explain who he was, ask how it was possible, but his throat was too dry, and the words stuck in his throat.

“Answer!” someone else demanded, and Ace clenched his fists. He couldn’t even get up, so he might as well let these people do with him whatever they wanted. It wasn’t as if anyone knew he was alive and, looking at Whitebeard’s gravestone, perhaps it was best he stayed away from the people he loved.

“Portgas D. Ace,” a steady voice said, and the crowd silenced. “That’s you, isn’t it?”

Ace looked into the eyes of an elderly woman. She was leaning heavily on a cane, but her eyes were sharp, directed only at him. She didn’t wait for him to answer, merely nodded for two people by her side to collect Ace and carry him in their procession back to their village.

“I don’t know how, boy,” she said as they walked, eyes fixated on a village a long way up ahead. “But somehow you’ve cheated death itself. Be thankful,” she cautioned, words heavy, and Ace let his head sink forwards, watching his feet as he walked slowly, still getting used to actually using his body again.

He watched the grass as it was crushed by each step, and fought the urge to close his eyes. There was one thing Ace knew for sure then, and it was that he had absolutely no idea what to do next.

**.**

When he’d first found the reference, it had been a tiny, throwaway sentence in a dusty tome on the inner politics of a fallen nation in North Blue. Sabo hadn’t been expecting to see anything on devil fruits when he’d found the book, and was reading it simply to fill the time as they sailed between missions. It was a comforting book, about bloodlines and traditions, and while Sabo had rejected those kinds of things as a child (with good reason), he found history fascinating, particularly history that told of toppling regimes and destroyed families.

So it started with a tiny, insignificant sentence. The seed was planted, though Sabo didn’t think too much of it until Koala and Hack were discussing Doflamingo and his announcement.

“He’s unlocked all the potential of his powers, hasn’t he?” Koala said, picking at a salad with a bland expression. Sabo didn’t blame her, the leaves were wilted from days at being at sea, but they’d be home soon and needed to use up the last of the food. He set his report down, though, remembering the line in the book.

“I read something,” Sabo announced, and Koala looked at him, unimpressed. Hack gave a snort of laughter, making to move to their fishing nets.

“About devil fruits bring people back from the dead,” Sabo continued, and the air grew tense all of a sudden. Hack’s foot came down heavily on deck, and he looked back at Sabo warily. Koala, too, had a cautious look on her face, and her salad was abandoned completely in favour of dealing with the situation.

“Sabo,” Hack said gently, and Sabo had known they were going to react like this. He was fine though, he’d been fine for a long time, and he wasn’t about to break down over thoughts of Ace.

“I know,” Sabo said firmly, fingers sliding over the wood of the table. He looked down at the sun-bleached wood, frowning. “I didn’t go looking for the information. It was just a line in my book, and I wanted to know. What with Doflamingo’s announcement.”

“Sabo,” Koala said softly, and she sighed, tilting her head back. “Tell us about this line then.”

Sabo told them, and Koala’s eyes lit up in interest. She was as interested in theories and knowledge as Sabo was, and even if nothing came of it, Sabo was sure they could uncover something. Hack, on the other hand, remained distant, still frozen solid on deck.

“You need to be careful,” he warned, as Koala ran off to their small collection of books, hoping to find something more. They really needed the library back at the base, and their contacts, but Koala wanted to get started right away, she’d said. “This could lead to an obsession, and it wouldn’t be good for you.”

Sabo remembered the bitter taste of grief, and how he had locked himself away from the world when the news from Marineford had splashed all over their base. He had questioned Ivankov and the others as much as he could, wanting to know about Luffy and about Ace’s final moments. The grief had subsided, eventually, but Sabo knew there would always be a space in his chest that could never be filled. Still, he’d accepted it (after all, he’d left them so many years ago, he had no right to hold anger and grief when he could accept it) and moved on, focusing on becoming the brother Luffy would need, the person the revolutionaries would need, and the person he wanted to be.

He’d never considered there was a way to bring Ace back, not until that tiny line in a book. And even then he didn’t really believe it, not even when Koala handed him a thin, falling-apart book on the technicalities of devil fruits. Sabo had left the book for days, under his pillow, on his bed stand, even in his pocket, but never open. He’d been afraid to know, afraid to see whether he could or couldn’t do this, and when he’d finally opened it, Sabo had still been sceptical.

BY CONSUMING THE DEVIL FRUIT OF A LOVED ONE ONCE IT HAS REGROWN, the book stated boldly, script thick and easily legible, THE PROCESS OF DEATH MAY BE REVERSED, IF YOUR CONNECTION IS TRUE AND CONDITIONS FAVOURABLE. There was a small note beside it – a smudged name with a question mark – and Sabo wondered if the person who had wrote that had tried to bring their own loved one back.

It wasn’t a set goal. It wasn’t confirmation, but nor was it dismissal. It seemed to be the only book that even referred to bringing someone back via devil fruits, but Sabo was willing to believe it, even if it was just a tiny amount of hope. Besides, even if it didn’t work, he couldn’t let Ace’s Mera Mera no Mi go to anyone else. Luffy already had a power, so he was out, and the duty had to fall to Sabo.

The fruit, when he bit into its dry flesh, tasted disgusting. Sabo resisted the urge to retch, knowing he’d only make a mess of his disguise anyway, and swallowed heavily, wishing he has something to get rid of the taste in his mouth. He thought of Luffy, thought of Ace, and felt the power of fire burn through his entire body, blazing through him as if seeking something, tearing him apart and stitching him back together.

It was gone as soon as it had blazed, though, and Sabo couldn’t feel anything to suggest there was fire inside him now. He frowned, trying to make fire shoot from his palms, but nothing seemed to work. Nevermind, Sabo thought, he had read accounts of people not being able to harness their devil fruit powers for a while. Particularly for logia users too, so his mind didn’t leap instantly to thinking his plan had worked.

And then there was the matter with Luffy and Doflamingo, and Sabo didn’t have much time to think about the problems of his devil fruit. He did think it would have been nice to show up in a blaze of flame, Ace’s spirit at his side, but Sabo was powerful enough not to need something like that, and the important issue was that they had prevented anyone else from taking Ace’s fruit.

Still, he thought later, when Luffy looked at him with a wide smile, inviting him to spend some time on his ship, Sabo couldn’t quite squash down the tiny bit of hope in his chest. Maybe he had done it. The odds were stacked, but maybe, just maybe.

**.**

When they’d reached the village, Ace recognised it. This island was one of the favoured Whitebeard pirate territories, one where Whitebeard had often come to rest and restock. The community here weren’t particularly large, but they were fierce and devoted to the Whitebeard pirates, and Ace could tell they had suffered a little due to that, a few buildings in state or repair and crumbling outer walls.

“Don’t mind the battle scars,” said the woman who had been shouting at him earlier, her anger pacified into thoughtfulness. “We fought and defended this place. Blackbeard tried, but he’s never been brave enough to take this place fully.”

She shot him a wolfish grin, and Ace ducked his head. He was still being supported, but they’d entered the village now, and he was supporting more of his own weight.

“Take him to my house,” the elderly woman said, and if Ace thought hard about it, he might recognise her. He’d never paid much attention to this island, never been given reason to come ashore here actually, his division given the task of minding the ships, but he thought he might remember her.

Or not. Ace didn’t have much of an idea about anything anymore if he was honest.

He was led to a generic looking house and placed at a kitchen table. It was homely, nice, and Ace sank back against the hard wood of the chair as his escorts left. His stomach twinged in pain, and Ace heaved a heavy sigh. Maybe he’d be able to have something to eat while he was here.

“I brought a doctor,” the elderly woman said as she entered, coming to join Ace at the table. “I don’t know how much you remember, but you died, boy.”

Ace shot her a glare, going against every manner he had ever learnt. That much was pretty obvious, though, and he didn’t care if she was helping him. A stupid statement was a stupid statement, how would Ace be able to forget the way Akainu had punched a hole through his back?

Ace jerked suddenly, jaw clenching. No. He wasn’t going to think of that now, was he? He’d made a decision and he planned to stick with it.

“I know,” he said huskily, through gritted teeth. The woman nodded, moving back and waving a hand for the doctor to come close. Ace sat patiently through his examination, occasionally catching a whiff of what he smelt like and wincing. Apparently being dead for however long wasn’t a great way to stay clean and not horrid smelling.

It was a while, but the doctor pulled back with a puzzled look.

“You’re very healthy,” he said, and Ace just looked at him, wondering what he was supposed to say to that. “While I don’t think rebirth, for lack of a better term, is an area anyone can claim expertise in, you seem like a very healthy, living human.”

Ace snorted at the last word. Was he really a human? Maybe? He had no idea.

“For whatever reason,” the doctor said, packing up his bag, “you should make the most of this chance. It seems someone wants you alive, and you seem to have complete control of your mind.”

That hadn’t occurred to Ace, and he shot the old woman a quick look, panic subsiding slightly at her nod and gentle smile. Ace wasn’t being controlled by anyone, at least, and he let out a breath he hadn’t been aware he was holding.

“Thank you,” the woman said, and the doctor left quickly, after slipping a parcel onto the table.

“You’ll take one pill every day,” the woman ordered, eyes sharp. “The doctor said it’ll help your body adjust, just in case.”

Ace did as told after she set down a glass of water, opening the package slowly and taking a pill out. He had no idea what they did, but there was nothing else for him to do, and he felt no harm from these people.

“I’ll heat up some soup,” the woman said, and she was gone, moving surprisingly quickly for someone of her age. She was back even faster, and if they kept up like this, Ace was sure he wouldn’t need to think about his problems, distracted by her fluttering and commands.

The soup was heavenly. Ace didn’t think he’d ever had anything that tasted this beautiful, and he had to show restraint, eating slowly. The pill he’d taken apparently helped combat nausea he might feel at suddenly eating again (though the doctor had commented Ace looked as healthy as any young man who ate five meals a day and exercised regularly), just in case.

“Do you want to hear what happened?” the woman said, setting down a second bowl for Ace. He took it gratefully and shook his head. No he bloody didn’t.

“Tough,” she said, and Ace gaped at her as she began to talk. “There was a huge explosion from that side of the island. We thought at first someone was attacking us, but our scouts hadn’t reported anything, so we were unsure.”

The woman settled a heavy look at Ace and he swallowed thickly.

“Somehow, you burnt your way out of your grave. My people are cleaning the area up, removing all traces of your grave and this incident, but it doesn’t explain how you came to live again.” Ace took a slow sip of his soup, looking down at it.

“I don’t know how,” he said quietly, and there was a shuffling movement as the woman moved about the kitchen, muttering something under her breath.

“Not good enough,” the woman said over her shoulder, and while Ace bristled, he didn’t rise to the bait. There was no point. How was he supposed to find out what was going on?

“Your brother came here you know,” she said, rummaging inside of a cupboard for a tea set, returning to the kitchen table with tea for them both. Ace reached eagerly, savouring the bitter taste, ignoring the way his heart beat loudly in his ears at the mention of Luffy.

“He made a special stop,” she continued, “and we made sure the sake and the newspaper stayed there even after he’d gone.”

Ace smiled, but there was a hint of confusion. Luffy wasn’t the type to make such sentimental gestures, and why had he left a newspaper if he was coming to tell Ace what he’d done? For that matter – how long had he been dead? Was Luffy Pirate King already or…? If Luffy was in the New World then he had to have grown even stronger than at Marineford, but how much time had passed?

“How long has it been since….” He trailed off, unable to say the word aloud. The woman seemed to understand though.

“You died at Marineford two years ago. Your brother paid you a visit after Monkey D. Luffy returned and entered the New World.” She smiled, and Ace narrowed his eyes. Who would pretend to be his brother? And why?

“The only brother I have is Luffy,” Ace said slowly, trying to break it gently to the woman that she’d been tricked. They hadn’t harmed anyone, at least, so they were probably just an enthusiastic fan of the Whitebeard pirates or something. Ace had met a few of those before.

“He introduced himself as your brother,” the woman said sternly. “Chief of Staff of the Revolutionaries, Sabo.”

Ace’s breath caught in his chest, and the spoon he’d been holding clattered to the table. He stood, without being quite aware of the action, and slammed his hands down on the wood.

“What did you say?” he hissed, fury boiling in his chest. He could feel the wood char under his palms, but Ace made no move to calm his fire. “How dare you.”

The woman looked unimpressed.

“Blond, scar over his left eye, about the same height as you, looks like he might have some noble blood in him.” Ace clenched his jaw. She had to be wrong. There was no way Sabo was alive and had come here. Sabo was dead, had died years ago, could never come back-

Then again, Ace was hardly an expert on death, even his own. Maybe Sabo had cheated death. Or maybe he had died and was in the same shitty predicament Ace was. It didn’t soothe the hurt and anger though, but Ace did sit down. Clearly there was another conversation he had to have with someone, and he knew it wouldn’t be pleasant. Sabo had left them, and Ace could remember Luffy’s face, streaked with tears and snot, and remembered knowing he needed to be there for Luffy no matter what.

That hadn’t exactly worked out as planned either. Everything was such a mess.

“Assuming you were right,” Ace said, making it clear that he didn’t believe her one bit, “then I don’t suppose you could tell me where I might find him.”

He tilted his chin, and the woman rolled her eyes. She tottered off again, into another room this time, and brought back a stack of papers.

“Here’s the ones for this month. I like to keep them,” she said, shooting Ace a toothy grin as his eyes widened at the first paper. “I’ll leave you to your reading. Take time to recover, you can stay here for as long as you need.”

Her eyes narrowed as Ace looked past her to the door.

“You’re staying here for the next five days at least. No one on the island will help you before that time period, though I suggest staying a little longer to ensure you’re in good health.” Ace nodded slowly, eyes staring at the image on the paper. “We’re not that far away, truth be told, and the winds have been favourable these past few weeks.”

She left him to it then, heading upstairs. Ace could hear her shouting something to someone outside, but his mind was too focused on the paper to process her words. Ace’s hands trembled as he flicked through the newspaper, and he didn’t even try to stop the tears of relief that trailed down his cheeks when he saw the announcement of the Strawhat Pirates return. Pride welled in Ace’s chest when he looked at Luffy’s bounty, and he set the paper down, leaning back against his chair with the back of his hand over his eyes.

Look how far Luffy had come. He’d become one of the most notorious pirates in such a short timespan. By the looks of it he’d also become a force to be reckoned with, and Ace felt worry settle in his chest. Would he ever stop worrying about Luffy? Probably not. Especially as the last memory of him was such a devastating one.

Ace shook his head, cutting that thought process off.

There was a lot Ace had to catch up on, and he sighed, looking at the papers he’d been given. While he was apprehensive – Ace wasn’t sure he could deal with hearing about his brother or crew – he needed to know. Ace had come back from the dead, he had no idea how or why, so there was no way he could afford to be ignorant. There were a lot of things Ace wouldn’t want to do, but this was something he had to.

He was on house arrest anyway, so Ace might as well use the time wisely. He shifted the papers and reached for the one at the bottom, pleased to note it was from some months ago.

“Here we go then,” Ace said, taking a deep breath as the sound of rustling newspaper filled the room.

**.**


	2. Chapter 2

The last few years had been hard on them all, Marco thought. He was no exception, but as a captain, he had certain expectations, and while the other crew members could afford to take a break for their sorrow and exhaustion, Marco couldn’t.

_There will be time to rest when I’m dead,_ Marco always thought grimly and powered on. It was all he could do, ever since Shanks had parted ways with them. Shanks had been Marco’s pillar back then, and Marco became a pillar for the remainder of the Whitebeard pirates. None of them would ever be able to thank Shanks for what he’d done, helping secure their brother and father and laying them to rest. He’d been respectful and sat next to Marco as he’d cried, shaking his head after Marco had tried to bring Ace and Whitebeard back from death.

“I knew it wouldn’t work,” Marco had said, and Shanks had dipped his head, eyes solemn.

“I would have tried anyway,” Shanks had replied, and Marco had felt his respect for Shanks skyrocket then. He’d made it clear that, if Shanks ever had a need, the remainder of the Whitebeard pirates would always hear him out, and it was a statement that held true still to this very day. They owed Shanks and his men a lot, and while they were not the force they’d been two years ago, the Whitebeard pirates still held a lot of power.

Their territories had dwindled, and they’d had to make sacrifices while they recovered from their grief, but that didn’t mean they weren’t powerful. A few had tried to take them head on, but the loss of their family spurred all of the Whitebeard pirates on. No one had conquered them, and Marco would die before they could.

Still, there were times when the grief wracked him, and Marco knew it always would. They sailed on one of the smaller Moby ships, their allies returning to their own boats and some of the main crew choosing to go with them. Their Moby was still large enough to accommodate all divisions comfortably, but Marco always felt that they were a little too close sometimes. There was no one he could seek to shake this feeling, though, so Marco would move to the tallest lookout post, watch the horizon, and let his anguish rise inside of him. Sometimes he’d fly, let his phoenix form try and strip away his human emotions, but not even the strongest healing powers were strong enough to mend a broken heart.

Marco was strong. He knew what the marines thought of him, knew that he was strong enough to stop Blackbeard (he’d stopped being Teach long ago – Teach was a name that they recognised, a name that reminded them he’d once been one of theirs), and knew the marines still kept tabs on them. They gained crew still, though it was a very small amount, and they met regularly with allies, mostly to celebrate. Marco remained strong through everything, and that was how he’d remain.

He didn’t feel very strong when the letter came. Marco had been trying to chart their course towards Dressrosa at the pleading of some of his crew. They’d begged Marco to let one of them enter the tournament, and while they’d been too far away to sail to Dressrosa on time, Marco promised they would see who had won Ace’s fruit. A pain had lodged in his chest when he’d accepted the request, but Marco was strong and so he could ignore his wishes for his crew’s.

In truth, Marco didn’t want to know who had inherited Ace’s power. It would never be their fire, and Marco’s skin crawled to think of someone else having control of the Mera Mera no Mi. Perhaps Luffy had been able to get it, though Marco wasn’t sure if he’d heard about the tournament. There had been the business of the Strawhat’s return in the paper, but that had been it so far.

Marco sighed, running a hand through his hair. He’d been thinking he should get it cut – the sides and back were getting a little too long for his liking – when a tern flew into the room. Marco was used to birds flying in as his rooms served as the messaging room too, but a tern was unusual. It was usually a squawking gull dropping off the newspaper.

Marco watched curiously as its head swivelled to take in the room, and it let out a shrill cry, hopping onto Marco’s desk. Its talons clawed at the map, and Marco picked it up quickly before it could damage anything.

“What do you want,” he whispered to it, knowing it was here for a specific purpose. He thought he recognised the bird too, and it took a moment to place the island that used these particular terns for delivering messages. In an instant, Marco was reaching for the small piece of paper tucked to the bird’s leg, chest tightening with worry.

The letter was short, it had to be for the scrap of paper, and written with care. Marco frowned at the words, set the letter down, and called in a handful of commanders.

“We would be heading by there anyway,” Jozu said, staring hard at the letter. “She wouldn’t message us unless it was important.”

The letter called for them to return to the island where they’d buried Whitebeard and Ace. Of course they’d been back many times before, but they’d never received a summons, and a heavy ball of dread settled in Marco’s stomach. He quizzed the commanders, but they, like he himself, had no idea why they’d been asked to return to the island. They were all uncomfortable, and Marco took a little comfort knowing he wasn’t the only one who was utterly perplexed.

No one complained when Marco announced their slight change of course. In fact, a feast was held, and Marco joined in with a smile, heart feeling lightened of a burden he hadn’t even been aware of.

Maybe this time he’d be able to set foot on the island and not feel as if he was shattering into pieces.

**.**

It had been exactly eight days since Ace had woken up. He’d spent every waking moment reading newspapers, eating, and building his fitness back up, but it still wasn’t enough to cease his restlessness. He’d become increasingly irritable to the people of the island, and the most frustrating thing was they never bit back. They just gave Ace a soft, pitying look, nodded their heads and moved on.

Ace wasn’t good at sitting still and waiting.

He had, admittedly, learnt a decent amount in the past eight days. He’d learnt of the fallout after the war, stomach clenching when he saw Luffy bowing his head across the front pages way back, and it had taken hours for Ace to shakily make it through article upon article praising the marines. Not a word was said on the status of his crew, and Ace had no idea how many had died because of him.

The nights were worse than the days. Ace hadn’t slept a full night – he’d fallen asleep fine and into a deep sleep at that, but he woke every night with his throat hoarse and hands clenched around the covers. His dreams were haunted by iron chains, his body immobilised by the execution platform. He was grateful there was no blazing magma, but Ace didn’t really care that he’d died. He cared that he’d got caught and had to watch his family, knowing there was no way he could save any of them, high upon that platform. His heart had been ready to leap from his chest, and Ace couldn’t remember the number of times he’d shaken in fear, thinking someone he loved had gone down, never to get back up.

No one confronted him about it, and Ace didn’t ask. He simply accepted it, knowing he needed to get off of this island soon. There were too many questions haunting him, and Ace had never been a man of non-action. He needed to get to Dressrosa and find Luffy. Then he needed to find the rest of his family. Only then could he think about why he was here and whether he was allowed to live properly.

Ace shook his head, sighing. A glance out of the window told him that it was a nice day, a perfect day if he did say so, and Ace knew it had to be today. The old woman (whose name Ace still hadn’t cared to learn) simply nodded when he told her he was leaving, sighing.

“I had hoped,” she began, pressing her lips together and shaking her head. “It’s not important. Are you heading to Dressrosa?”

Of course he was, Ace told her, and she ushered him out to the small harbour, waving for him to pick a boat.

“What do you mean?” Ace said, looking at her in confusion. She really couldn’t be just giving him any boat he fancied, could she? He’d been expecting the tiniest boat the island could spare, not a potential boat the size of one of the smaller marine ships.

“I mean,” the old woman said slowly, “that you can take any ship you want. We’ll stock it with everything you need and even give you an eternal pose.”

Ace opened his mouth to protest, staring at the boats. He was about to speak when the woman jabbed him in the arm.

“Don’t say a word,” she hissed. “You’re back from the dead, and you have a lot to understand still. We can give up a boat if it’ll get you to your destination quickly. You’ll come back one day to see your father, I hope you’ll remember the kindness and repay us however you see fit.”

Ace turned to the woman and closed his mouth slowly. Her eyes were watery, and Ace felt extremely uncomfortable, clearing his throat and turning away. He ignored the prickling of his own eyes and the tightness in his throat. He was grateful to them all, he realised, and Ace vowed that he would come back – if he didn’t vanish or whatever before then.

“Pick a boat,” the old woman said sternly, and Ace settled for a small, streamlined boat, blue paint chipped here and there. The old woman nodded her approval and waved an arm, apparently a signal for people to come and load up the boat with provisions.

His departure was a strange thing. When Ace had left Luffy so long ago, he’d felt hopeful and excited, spurred on in an effort to erase Roger from his life. When he’d left the Whitebeard pirates there had only been anger (and such a blind anger it had been), an anger that had lessened into the gaping wound it really was. Now, Ace felt nothing, not really. He felt focused, the need to see Luffy tugging in his chest, but it wasn’t much of anything.

He set off quietly, the spray of the sea splashing over his face. Ace inhaled deeply as he drifted away, one eye on the eternal pose on his wrist. The nothingness began to fade, and, as Ace began to steer through a particular rough patch, his smile and joy began to grow. He’d forgotten how much he loved the sea.

“I’m sorry I spent so much time away,” Ace muttered, glancing up at the sun and licking his dry lips. He wished he still had his hat – he’d been gently informed that his explosion had been the last of it, whatever it had weathered before, a huge burst of fire had just been too much – but there was at least the comforting weight of his knife against his thigh. The metal was a little blackened where Ace hadn’t cleaned it properly, but the important thing was that it was his, something that he’d owned in his previous life and something he could carry in this one.

His boat made slow progress, and Ace’s chest panged for the loss of his Striker. She had been an amazing ship, fast and sleek and his, and Ace didn’t want to think what had become of her. She was probably rotting along the bottom of the sea now, another victim to Ace’s stupidity.

Ace took in a deep breath, scouting the open sea and ducking inside of the ship for a moment to collect some food. He ate in silence, the waves his constant companion, and tried not to think. Thinking led to terrible things, and Ace didn’t want to think about a lot of things yet.

There was, overall, nothing remarkable about Ace’s journey. He saw a few ships every now and then, large ones he might have been able to identify if he’d had a telescope, but he hadn’t been bothered by not knowing. Ace wanted to keep himself to himself, at least until he had seen the people he loved. He ate, dozed, ate, corrected his course, paused whenever he hit something he could anchor to and have a proper sleep, and busied himself with shaving and caring for his body. The old woman had given him a bag full of hygiene items, and Ace was grateful for it. He had a couple of years of moisturising to catch up on, not to mention his dental cleanliness.

There was even a mirror, though Ace had tucked it away after seeing himself for the first time since he’d set sail. His skin was darker and his hair looked to be growing back nicely – he’d singed half of it off when he came back to life and had chosen to even it up, and the result was the shortest haircut Ace had ever had. He missed his longer hair, but hair grew, and it wouldn’t be long before his was back, the old woman had assured him about a hundred times, as if Ace didn’t know hair grew.

His journey was simple, Ace would have said, if anyone had asked. It was peaceful, though Ace tried not to think about how nice it would have been for someone to share it with him. Not Luffy – he’d have gone stir crazy in a moment – but someone else, someone who knew Ace better than most, someone he could trust completely, someone like Mar-

Ace took a shaky breath, hands gripping the side of the boat tightly. One step at a time. Get to Dressrosa and find Luffy first. The rest needed to wait.

Of course, when Ace did reach Dressrosa, the entire place was a wreck. Ace eyed the group of marine ships at the main harbour warily, retreating to the cabin to look over a map. Luffy wouldn’t be on Dressrosa if Ace’s hunch was right (he had no idea what Luffy had done this time, but a mess that big had to have Luffy involved somehow), so he had to think of where he could be.

When it came down to it, there wasn’t a great choice, and Ace had no desire to run on a wild goose chase, hopping from island to island. Reality was catching up with him, Ace knew, and it would surround him soon if he didn’t reach Luffy. If he got to Luffy, Ace could ignore his thoughts for some time more, and the only way Ace was going to get a proper answer was to get onto the island and see if anyone knew where Luffy had gone.

He had to find a safe place to hide his boat, and Ace’s tour of Dressrosa found him a curious bridge, connecting to a lush, green island. Green Bit, Ace thought, and pushed his boat onwards towards it. He’d be hidden away on Green Bit, for he’d stand out like nothing else amongst the ruins of Dressrosa. Besides, Ace could tell that none of the marines had made it over the bridge, and he was able to secure his boat easily.

Ace was about to set off to look for someone who could tell him what had happened recently when bushes to his left rustled. He froze, preparing to send flames out to whoever was about to attack him, but was met with the blank stare of a fox instead.

“Oh,” Ace said, relaxing. His eyes darted around the area, but there really was no one else, and he gave a weak chuckle at how tense he was. Surprised by a fox, that was a new one.

And then everything… shifted. Quite literally, as Ace was tugged backwards onto the ground, air rushing from his lungs with an odd oomph sound.

“We got him!” a voice shouted, but it sounded strange, as if it came from a creature that was around the size of a mouse.

That was, Ace found out a few moments later, exactly where it was coming from.

“You ask him,” one of the voices said, and Ace sighed. He’d been captured before, never by such small people, but Ace had worked himself out of tougher situations before. He tried not to let panic swirl in his gut as he thought that, choosing instead to look at one of the little people who had clambered onto his chest. It was an uncomfortable view, but not so bad all things considered.

“If you’re here for Princess Mansherry-“ the little one stated, and Ace shook his head.

“I’m just here to try and find my brother,” Ace said quickly, and the little people stilled for a moment.

“So you’re not here to try and capture our princess?” another asked, and Ace shook his head again, though a little slower as the first had shaken the little one on his chest quite badly.

“Oh,” the one on his chest said, raising his hand, and Ace was suddenly free of the pressure that had held him against the ground. “We’re sorry,” he added, looking at little balefully at the others.

“It’s fine,” Ace said, and he smiled properly. It was a strange situation, but what hadn’t been strange lately? And anyway, this was the New World. Ace had lived here for years now, strangeness was part of the deal.

“We thought,” the little one said, looking at the others with a pained expression, desperate to explain himself. Ace sat up slowly, smiling.

“If you want to make it up to me, I do have a few questions,” he said, and the pained expression vanished from the little person’s face, instead replaced with one of interest.

“Oh?” he said, and shifted back onto Ace’s lap, joined by the others, who all peered up at Ace with narrowed eyes. “What do you want to know?” the little one said, jerking his chin up at Ace in an attempt to look intimidating.

Ace thought for a moment. He needed to get these little people to trust him first, and that meant he needed to ask the right questions. He ran a hand through his hair, wrinkling his nose as his fingers passed through much more quickly than he was used to. He’d never get used to having short hair.

“I’m looking for some people,” he began cautiously, and the little people nodded. For a brief moment, Ace wondered what kind of people they were and how he should address them, but maybe he’d get to ask that later. He needed to find Luffy before he slipped too far away.

“I’m looking for Monkey D. Luffy,” Ace said slowly, half hoping and half fearing they’d heard the name. The reaction Ace did get was unexpected, and his eyebrows rose as the little people beamed up at him, whispering amongst themselves.

“The hero of Dressrosa!” one whispered, and Ace fought the urge to burst into laughter. He knew how much Luffy would hate that name, and Ace shook his head, closing his eyes for a moment, Luffy’s annoyed face flashing before him. It was much better than the look of haunted sorrow that usually faced Ace when he closed his eyes at any rate.

“What do you want with him?” one of them demanded, and Ace looked away, taking in the huge trees that towered over him. He was suddenly nervous, the reality that he really could be near Luffy again sinking in.

“He’s,” Ace said, breaking off and pressing his lips together. His strength had left him, all of a sudden, and the muscles in his cheeks twitched as he fought back the tears that had sprung up. He wasn’t going to cry for such a stupid reason in front of these strange people.

“He’s my brother,” Ace said in a rush, blinking frantically to stop the tears. They listened to him – something had to finally – and Ace took a shallow breath, trying to get more air into his lungs.

“Your brother?” the little people said, voices dipping as they talked amongst themselves. They didn’t seem to believe him that he was Luffy’s brother, but they did, at least, believe that he meant Luffy no harm.

“He’s headed towards Zō,” one of them piped up, and Ace ran through images of maps in his mind, nodding when he realised Zō was fairly close. He hoped Luffy needed to stay there for a short while, otherwise he’d never catch up.

“Thanks,” Ace said, and he made to get up. His movement was halted by a look from one of the little people, a narrow eyed stare that made Ace feel extremely uncomfortable.

“Hurt him and we’ll hunt you down,” the little one said, and Ace nodded, unable to defend himself. How could he? He’d broken his promise to Luffy, and seeing him again would no doubt tear open that wound. It was something Ace had to do though, and Luffy would never forgive him if he vanished forever.

“I understand,” Ace said sincerely, and the little ones let him stand. He thanked them, bowing politely, and they patted his shoes, telling him to pass on their hellos and well wishes to Luffy.

Ace was about to leave when he remembered the reason why Dressrosa had become so popular. While he still had his fire, there was no doubt that the Mera Mera no Mi had been up for grabs, and Ace had no idea how any of that made sense. Still, someone had to have won the fruit, right?

“Who got the Mera Mera no Mi?” Ace asked, though he knew Luffy had to have won the battle. Ace did wonder who he’d given it to – there were a number of devil fruit users on his crew and one more would be no trouble. Ace knew he loved and trusted his crew, so it would have to be one of them.

“The Chief of Staff of the Revolutionaries!” one of the little people shouted, and Ace’s stomach turned to cold iron. The sinking feeling only grew when they had a rapid discussion, trying to remember the name.

“Sabo!” someone called, and Ace felt his chest tighten, breath coming in short gasps.

“Come to think of it, didn’t Luffy call him his brother?” another said, and Ace felt pain lance through him as his kneecaps hit the ground. He could hear the worry of the little people, but barely registered them as they crowded around him, trying to understand what was wrong.

Sabo, Ace thought. Not only was he alive, he had to be the cause of this all. Ace gritted his teeth, entire body shaking as he clenched his fists, fighting back his grief, anger and fire. He felt a small hand on his own and looked down, the little one who seemed to be their unofficial leader staring up at him grimly.

“Come with us,” he said, and Ace really had no other option.

That seemed to be a trend lately, starting with coming back from the dead.

**.**

Marco watched with a cautious eye as his men set of for the other side of the island. They were tense, carrying provisions with them to eat lunch at Whitebeard’s grave, and Marco nodded for them to set off. He would go over there later, but he needed to understand what he’d just been told and plan.

“The grave was destroyed,” Azumi had told them, a stern look in her eyes, age peeling back as she stood boldly before them. Marco couldn’t imagine such courage from anyone else – taking on the entirety of the Whitebeard pirates and informing them calmly that the grave of their brother had been destroyed.

“Who did it?” someone had hissed, and Marco was sure he heard a tooth or two crack from people clenching their jaws. Marco felt anger burn through him, but nodded calmly, not letting it show. He couldn’t afford that now, he was responsible for so many people.

Azumi glanced around at the gathered pirates, nostrils flaring.

“I’d prefer to keep that information private for the moment, Captain,” she said, and there was a satisfied gleam in her eye at Marco’s wince. He’d never wanted that title, but it was a burden he shouldered readily. Anything for his family, after all.

“I’ll stay while you go and pay your respects,” Marco called over his shoulder, and there was a brief noise of protest, people shifting in discomfort. Marco understood why, and it wasn’t as if he wasn’t going to do anything. When he found out who had dared destroy Ace’s grave, he’d tear them apart with his bare hands.

“Make sure Oyaji is safe,” Marco said firmly, half-turning to look at each of the commanders. Slowly, and unhappily, they nodded and set about directing their subordinates. They knew they could trust Marco, and if Azumi was refusing to talk to anyone but him, it had to be serious.

When they’d left, the mood picking up somewhat, Marco was led to Azumi’s house and sat down at her kitchen table. She bustled around, muttering something about lunch, and while Marco wasn’t hungry, he left her to it. He’d learnt before that when Azumi was going to feed you she would bloody well feed you, whether you wanted it or not.

Marco looked down at the table, tracing two odd marks in the wood. He’d almost say they had been burnt into the wood, but the shape didn’t match any kitchen pan Marco could think of. They were more hand-shaped, and he supposed it was just a distortion in the wood.

Azumi set down a sandwich for the both of them, sitting down with a sigh.

“You’re late you know,” Azumi said, voice stern.

“Your letter didn’t specify a date or what the matter of urgency was,” Marco replied simply. “We travelled as quickly and safely as we could.”

Azumi made a noise of disapproval, but sighed and nodded. “It was too delicate to write on paper,” she admitted, looking at Marco with a worried brow.

“He’s left now, we saw him off a few days ago. He shouldn’t be too far away though, and he told us where he was headed, so you’ll easily find him.” She was speaking quickly, and Marco frowned, not understanding.

“Do you mean the man who destroyed Ace’s grave?” he said, and Azumi paused, a wild look on her face. There was a softness to the harsh lines of her face, the evidence she had fought hard to live the life she did, and it startled Marco slightly.

“Oh, Captain,” she said softly, and she took Marco’s hand. He jolted, looking into her eyes as her thumb smoothed over the back of his hand. It was a mother’s touch, and Marco knew what she was about to say next had the potential to destroy them all.

“We found Portgas D. Ace beside his grave two or so weeks ago. He was alive, had blasted himself out of his grave, and had no idea how he came to be alive again.” The world narrowed for Marco, and he felt something he hadn’t felt for a long, long time. Hope and sorrow twisted around each other in his chest, and Marco felt lighter than he ever had, as if he could float into the sky with just the touch of the wind.

“Captain,” Azumi said softly, bringing his focus back a little. “He’s alive and healthy, though none of us can imagine how. The afterlife gave him back to you.”

Dropping Azumi’s hand, Marco buried his head in his hands, shoulders shaking as grief rolled through him. He hadn’t cried like this in a long while, and the tears covered Marco’s hand whenever he tried to wipe them away, smearing his face with wetness.

“How can I,” Marco began, taking a wracking breath. “How do I know what you’re saying is true?” he asked between shaky breaths, sitting back and wiping his nose with the tissue Azumi had passed him.

“You know I have no reason to lie,” Azumi said, and that much was true, Marco thought. Azumi was as loyal as any member of the Whitebeard pirates, but people didn’t just wander back from the dead.

“You’re going to go and see anyway,” Azumi said knowingly, and that much was true. Even if the probability Ace had come alive again was so miniscule, Marco knew the Whitebeard pirates would not rest until they knew for sure Ace wasn’t wandering around the New World.

It didn’t seem possible, but Marco had seen many impossible things before in his time.

With firm strides, Marco walked over to the gravesite, grass slipping between the soles of his feet and his sandals. It grounded Marco, and he knew if he flew over to the graves he’d feel the pull to go and find Ace right away. He couldn’t be so selfish though – Marco had an entire crew to think of. He couldn’t go chasing after Ace without telling his family, but before that, Marco had to see it.

Usually, returning to Whitebeard and Ace’s graves meant celebration. They’d bring flowers and alcohol, food, stories and music too, and the Whitebeard pirates would celebrate the hours away, catching their lost nakama up to date with the news and reminiscing. This time, however, the mood was sombre, almost every pair of eyes trying not to stare at the bare patch of dirt where Ace’s grave had been.

Marco swallowed thickly, walking around the spot. He could see evidence of a large explosion in a few chips of Whitebeard’s grave marker and, more obviously, the flora around them. There had certainly been an impressive amount of firepower around, and Marco just hoped that, if Ace really had come back, he was safe and happy.

Azumi had told him that Ace was headed to Dressrosa, and while Marco would have loved for Ace to come running home, his actions made sense. Ace knew where Luffy was at that point in time, he had no idea about the Whitebeard pirates. And besides, Ace had died in Luffy’s arms, and Marco’s chest tightened when he thought of the terrible scream Luffy had given when he’d realised Ace wasn’t going to ever get up again.

(Only… he had…)

“Marco,” Vista said, voice unhappy and expression matching. “What is going on?”

Marco knew there would be chaos if he told everyone now, so he gathered the division captains and they headed back to the ship, giving the others orders to pack up in an hour or so.

“We shall be heading to Dressrosa,” Marco announced, once everyone was seated in the meeting room. There were a few pointed looks and raised eyebrows, but no one commented. Yet.

“We are looking for one man, though he might have left Dressrosa by the time we get there.” Marco took a deep breath, looking around the room. “There wasn’t an attack on Ace’s grave,” he said calmly, though uncertainty curled in his stomach. This was the right thing to do, Marco assured himself. They had to work together to find Ace.

There was confusion at his words, and Marco continued on to clarify.

“His grave was damaged, but Azumi assured me that the damage came from within.” He paused, waiting for them to get the hint, and the commanders all looked at him sharply, some with barely-concealed hope or disbelief on their face.

“Portgas D. Ace returned to the world of the living by means as of yet unknown. He was given a clean bill of health and, after a week’s observation and care, he set out for Dressrosa, in search of his brother, Straw Hat Luffy.” There was silence after that, and Marco took his seat, resting his chin in his hands as his eyes searched the room.

“Ace…” Blamenco said, voice full of hope and eyes watery. Questions began to sound across the room, and Marco allowed it for a moment, raising his hand when he felt enough was enough.

He suddenly felt better than he had since the tournament for the Mera Mera no Mi had been announced. The thought that Ace’s fruit would be given to someone unworthy had burned through them all, but Marco hadn’t been able to handle it. He’d withdrawn into himself, and the feeling was only just lifting.

“We’re going on a hunt,” Marco said, smiling widely. His good mood shifted through the room, and he noticed a few of the commanders wiping away tears. “Whatever happened, however long it takes, we need to know the truth.”

The commanders were nodding. Even if this was a strange chase, they had to find Ace. He was really out there, Marco had no doubt, and his crew believed in him. They’d find Ace and welcome him home, after such a long time.

After instructing the commanders to gather their divisions, spread the good news and prepare to move out, Marco moved to the front of the ship, staring out at the sea.

“We’ll be there soon Ace,” Marco whispered to the wind, and he began to laugh, tears slipping from the corners of his eyes.

He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this elated.


	3. Chapter 3

Ace sat at a large, low table. He was sitting cross-legged on the ground, table just touching his shins, and surrounded by the little people – dwarves they said they were. He looked down with disinterest, picking at his food only because he knew food would fuel him for his journey.

“Are you hurt?” a soft voice asked, and Ace looked to his side, where the dwarves had shifted down to let a female dwarf sit. Ace heard a few people whisper her name, as well as princess, and Ace figured this was the beloved princess with a heart of gold.

“No,” he said simply, looking back to his food. He didn’t need any healing. What he needed to do was see his brother… well, brothers now he supposed. Ace still wasn’t sure what to feel about Sabo, though most of him felt as though someone had ripped through his chest yet again.

It wasn’t a pleasant feeling.

“Oh,” the princess said, and a frown crossed her brow. She made as if to touch Ace’s hand, and he pulled back, standing up quickly.

“I need to leave,” Ace said simply, nodding to the dwarves and heading back out. It would be a little while before he got to his boat, but he had wasted enough time here. He needed to get to Luffy, needed it more than anything else, and knew he wouldn’t have much time left before he had to face the truth, before he had to face what had happened.

Ace took in a sharp breath as he walked through the cool, evening air. The dwarves had been kind to him, he supposed, and felt a slight pang for not being as respectful as he should have been. They didn’t seem to mind, and only one of them was following Ace, so he supposed they weren’t terribly offended by his actions.

It wasn’t long before he realised that he was being followed. The soft pad of hooves followed him, and Ace half-turned to see a deer stalking through the forest behind him, the princess dwarf sitting calmly on its antlers, eyes fixed on Ace. He scowled, focusing on the path ahead of him instead of the stupid deer, but it wasn’t long before the deer was at his side, the princess towering above him.

“Where are you going?” she asked curiously, and Ace sighed. He didn’t want to reply, as petulant as that made him, and he stormed onwards, finally able to see the sea, though there was a while to go yet before he could reach his boat and sail onwards.

“Do you even have a log pose?” the princess continued, and Ace almost stopped in his tracks. No, he only had the eternal pose to Dressrosa, but he hadn’t exactly been thinking about log poses when he’d just learnt his fucking dead brother was apparently his fucking alive brother.

“No,” he said instead, gritting his teeth so tightly he was almost afraid one would crack. He felt heat in his mouth as his fire prepared to shift his teeth, just in case he did almost crack one, and took a steady breath. His eyes focused on the ocean and he watched the waves crest, feeling himself calm slightly.

“Here,” the princess said, unhooking a log pose from one of the antler fronds, throwing it to Ace as she looked down at him.

Ace caught it, reflexes apparently not dulled one bit despite his time dead, and he swapped it quickly for the eternal pose. He curled his fingers around the leather of the band and marched onwards, the deer easily keeping pace. The princess was silent for a long while, until his boat was visible.

“I have a power,” the princess said suddenly, and Ace looked at her carefully. Everything started with a power, he thought, and fire curled in his blood, reminding him of the brother who he’d lost and of powers beyond his own comprehension.

“Yeah,” Ace said simply, and he stopped walking, looking down at the small bay where he’d left his boat. It bobbed to the sway of the ocean and if hurt a little to see it. It wasn’t home, far from it, and he missed the huge, hulking Moby and his thin, sleek Striker. The boat waiting for him was none of these things. It was unobtrusive and could have been anyone’s, and Ace felt an aching twist in his stomach that had nothing to do with being punched through his torso and everything to do with longing for his home.

“You’re hurting,” the princess said quietly, and Ace resisted the urge to look at her. Instead he looked out to the horizon, to the sun that was creeping lower in the sky, and the clouds that had erupted in gorgeous hues of pink and orange.

“Yeah,” he replied once more, though the word was weighted and weary. It was true, Ace hurt, and he had no idea how he’d move beyond being hurt.

“My power can’t heal it,” the princess said, and Ace closed his eyes, smiling bitterly.

“I never expected anyone to,” he said, and the princess made a small sound in the back of her throat. The deer shifted nervously, but Ace only opened his eyes to gaze once again at the horizon, marvelling at how fleeting time was. And how much had he wasted buried because he’d been stupid enough to ignore his family and-

Ace swallowed thickly, pushing away the thought and crossing his arms over his chest. His t-shirt lifted slightly with a breeze, and, for a moment, Ace longed for an open shirt – or even no shirt at all. But he couldn’t be afforded such a freedom anymore. His chest and back were too scarred, the mark of his sins, and Ace refused to remind himself of his actions. He’d put Luffy in so much danger, and the one thing he’d never wanted was for Luffy to know that he’d been taken, much less come and fight for him. He’d expected the Whitebeard pirates (though he’d painfully hoped they’d stay away, out of Ace’s darkness), but never for Luffy to show up at Marineford.

“Do you think seeing him will help?” the princess asked, and Ace looked at her, turning his back on the ocean. His neck prickled uncomfortably with the motion, but he held firm. He was tired of running away.

“Yes,” he replied immediately, though doubt stirred in his stomach. “No,” he added, and then, feeling pathetic, finished with, “maybe.”

The princess seemed to understand though. She hummed to herself, plucking at her dress, and looked at him with wide eyes. They were kind, Ace thought, and he tried to remember what the dwarves had introduced the princess as, her real name, but couldn’t grasp it. Oh well, he thought, he’d be leaving soon enough.

“You need answers, and maybe he can provide them,” she said, and Ace nodded slowly. “And it’s been a long, long time since you last saw each other.”

“Forever,” Ace whispered, remembering Luffy howling with sorrow, staring out at the ocean as despair closed around him. Sabo’s death had served as a reminder of their mortality, and Ace had vowed to do anything to protect Luffy. He still would, even now, and even if it meant keeping Sabo away from Luffy.

Ace let out a breath, tears springing to his eyes. He hadn’t even thought about Luffy and Sabo together. Had Luffy forgiven Sabo? Had Luffy even thought there was something to forgive? Ace clenched his teeth together tightly, ignoring the sensation as they slipped into flames as this time his bite really was strong enough to crack his teeth.

What if Luffy and Sabo were happy together? What if they didn’t need Ace anymore? What if Luffy and Sabo had grieved and then moved on?

Without his full consent, Ace’s body lowered to the ground, and he sat with his knees tucked against his chest. He didn’t want to believe it (after all, back on the island they’d said that his brother had come to visit, so there was proof that Sabo hadn’t moved on surely), but what else was there to believe? Ace didn’t think he knew Sabo anymore – he’d left them, lied, then made his way through the ranks to claim Ace’s fruit? Why? Had he known it would bring Ace back? Had he craved power? Had he-

“They both love you,” the princess said, and Ace noticed she was holding a small flower, the breeze plucking at the dandelion’s seeds and carrying them over to Ace. Her lips were pressed tightly together, and Ace thought she had to be using whatever her power was.

“I could feel your emotions,” she explained, and Ace let his legs slide to the ground, leaning back with his hands resting against the ground behind him. The ocean was, once again, in his sight, and he shook his head pathetically.

“I know,” he said, and he did. He knew Luffy (and Sabo) would never forget him. He knew they would always love him and never turn their back on him, but this was all just so _hard_. He’d _died_ , and how the hell was he supposed to recover from that?

“You need to find them,” the princess said, the deer lowering his head to allow her to pat his shoulder gently. Her hand was so small, but it was warm and soft, and Ace realised with a start that he really, really missed people who loved him.

“I miss them,” he said, bringing his knees back up and burying his face against them. “I miss them so much.”

Grief rolled like waves upon a shore, and Ace couldn’t stop the tears. He sobbed against his kneecap, nose pressed painfully against bone, but he couldn’t move. He couldn’t break the spell, couldn’t face the outside world until he had done this, and he submitted himself to wracking sobs.

He thought about Luffy, how he had always smiled at Ace and looked at him with delight and love in his eyes. He thought at how Luffy’s face had broken as he’d cradled Ace, how he’d felt Luffy’s hand tapping his back in uncertainty, and how his entire body had started to shake when he’d pulled his hand away from Ace’s back. He thought about Luffy in Alabasta, how he’d come crashing back into Ace’s life, and how he’d proudly introduced his crew.

Even without him, Luffy was loved and supported, and Ace knew he needed to thank them too for carrying his brother when he hadn’t been able to. While Ace knew the Straw Hats had been separated, he also knew that Luffy could only have made it through his grief with them as his support. Ace felt the push of sorrow that he’d been the one to cause such pain, in addition to not being there to help Luffy himself, but there was nothing he could do about that.

His thoughts turned to Sabo. He wondered what Sabo looked like. Did he still smile as brightly as he had when they were younger? Did he still laugh and crinkle his nose? Was he still the same person that Ace held in his chest, image blurred and faded with time, but no less loved?

And then Ace thought of his family. He thought of Whitebeard, who was dead and buried, not subject to the same magic that had brought Ace back. And while that hurt, oh how it hurt, Whitebeard had lived long and loved. His final words had brought down a storm of pirates, and he’d died protecting those he loved. Ace could grieve for him, but it was a clean sorrow, unsullied by injustice.

That didn’t mean Ace didn’t feel guilty, though, but the grief came separately. He knew the chains of guilt would twist and lock around him later, when he finally returned to his family, but it was far enough away that he could ignore its press around his neck. For the moment at least – for he had to focus on Luffy and Sabo.

There were the others too, the commanders and the crew, his friends and family. They flashed before him as Ace began regaining control of his crying, and he was wheezing only slightly when he thought of Marco.

When he thought of Marco, Ace could remember him falling from the sky after Garp had punched him. He could remember Kizaru laying into him with ferocity after Onigumo had caught him in seastone. He remembered seeing Marco fall, remembered hearing their crew shouting as he and Jozu had been taken down and-

That was it. Ace sucked in a long breath, trying to calm himself. If Marco had died, there would have been another grave beside Whitebeard’s, surely. Ace and Whitebeard might have had a special burial, for others must have fallen too and been buried elsewhere on a more traditional Whitebeard Pirate burial ground or given to the sea, but surely Marco would have been buried there too. No, Marco had to be alive, but would he forgive Ace?

Ace didn’t know. The tears dried up, and he let the cool ocean breeze dry the dampness on his cheeks. His hair was so short that it hardly shifted in the breeze, but Ace closed his eyes as he had done countless times before, inhaling the salty tang he’d come to associate with freedom.

He’d made it, he thought. An ironic snort left his lips, and soon Ace was smiling for real, letting himself lie backwards as he laughed, staring up at the stars. He felt the deer stir nervously beside him, but Ace didn’t care.

He was _alive_! He’d survived, gotten through, come back from, cheated – however you wanted to phrase it – death. He had protected Luffy after dragging him into his mess, and Ace had come back.

“I want to make the most of this life,” Ace said quietly, still smiling as tears dried at the corners of his eyes. He felt a little lighter, excitement clouding over his apprehension inside of himself. He wasn’t still right – he couldn’t bear to try to address what Akainu had done – but he was getting there, step by step. Perhaps hearing Sabo’s name wouldn’t hurt as much now. 

“Where do you want to start?” the princess called out, and Ace reached to stroke the deer’s neck as it grazed next to him, the princess staring down kindly. “I can help you,” she offered, and Ace sat up slightly. 

“How?” he said, and she gave a small smile, looking away. 

“It might hurt you, but,” she drifted off, looking at him. Her eyes were clear and Ace could see how much she just wanted to help people, how much she loved life itself. “The revolutionaries set up camp on the other side of the island. They needed to contact their base, and we offered them shelter for what they’d done for us on Dressrosa.” 

Ace’s breath caught, but it was without the lingering taint of bitterness. He nodded to himself slowly, knowing that he had to go to them, and he licked his lips, nervousness coiling in the pit of his stomach. 

“Okay,” he said softly, more an exhale of breath than anything. “Okay, please, I would,” he said, and while Ace was hardly making sense, the princess understood. She patted the deer, and it started walking, looking back only when Ace hesitated to stand. 

“I’m going to see my brother,” Ace whispered, rolling onto his side and standing slowly. He cast one last look out at the ocean before he ran a hand through his hair, wishing he had his hat to pull down lower. 

They moved away from the sea, and Ace’s steps were equal parts dread and excitement. He had no idea what he’d do when he saw Sabo, but he supposed that didn’t matter. Even if Sabo had planned to bring him back, or was at least connected to this somehow, it wasn’t every day you saw a dead man walking again. 

**.**

It hadn’t been Sabo’s suggestion, oddly enough, that they remain on Green Bit. The suggestion had come from Hack, who had been asked to stay by one of the dwarves – Leo. He had since acted as the main messenger for them, bringing them food and answering any questions they had, as well as keeping an eye on the marines. Under Fujitora’s command, they seemed disinterested in chasing after the revolutionaries who had been spotted on Dressrosa, but one could never be too careful, particularly when they needed to send a message back to Headquarters before they could leave.

Sabo sighed, letting his pen fall from his hands. He was in the middle of translating something as Koala tried to patch up their den den mushi, but his mind was distracted, and the language slipped away from him. He stood, paced around the room once before he took his seat, and sighed again.

Nothing was about to happen on the boat, so Sabo stood, clambered onto the makeshift harbour they’d fashioned, and joined Koala in the tent she’d set up on land. She was busy trying to coax their den den mushi to eat and gave up with a groan.

“There’s nothing wrong with it,” Koala said, half-turning to face Sabo. She looked tired, and he wondered if she’d been struggling all day. “It just won’t work, and I have no idea how to fix it.”

Sabo was at a loss too. He had no idea why their only den den mushi to the Headquarters was refusing to work, despite trying a number of tricks that had always worked before. Trust them to pick up the faultiest one, he thought grimly, and seated himself down to distract Koala for a little while.

“Have you had any luck with the fire?” she asked, and Sabo shook his head, looking up at the ceiling with an odd feeling filling his stomach. A few times he thought he’d felt something like sparks on his fingertips a few times and had tried to conjure flames, but to no avail.

“It’ll come,” Koala said simply, and she sounded so sure of herself that Sabo couldn’t find fault in her words. “You ate the fruit after all, no one’s ever recorded their power not working.” She gave a laugh, turning back to the den den mushi and trying to coax it to nibble a leaf.

Sabo smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. It felt plastic and fake, and he didn’t want to discuss why he never wanted to be able to wield the power. It had been a few careless lines, and he’d told himself he wouldn’t get fixated, but Sabo had never been able to do things by half, and he’d gone and believed that maybe, just maybe, he’d done something that mattered for Ace.

He wanted to bury his hands in his hair and pull, but Sabo resisted. The image of Burgess gloating filled his mind, and he screwed his eyes shut tightly. If there was one thing Ace had never been, it was weak, and even shackled and handed to the marines, his only thought had been for Luffy. He’d been about to die, and all Ace had cared about was Luffy.

Where had Sabo been? Too far away, and he regretted it with every beat of his heart. He’d learnt the hard way that he couldn’t change the past, but oh, how Sabo wished he could have been there with Luffy. In his dreams he was there, crashing through the waves with a fleet of ships, standing at Luffy’s side as they took on the entire force of the marines. Let the admirals come, Sabo thought when his eyes were closed. Even Akainu was no match against the force of the three brothers.

Sabo could see it so clearly. He’d managed to piece together what happened at Marineford, largely thanks to Iva and Inazuma, and he could see it, burnt on the back of his eyelids. Sabo watched as Ace was freed, working perfectly in synch with Luffy, the two of them taking on the world. And Sabo would have fitted so seamlessly into their partnership, covering Ace and Luffy when they needed him to, and being the extra pair of eyes that would have spotted Akainu.

Tilting his head to the side, Sabo watched Koala for a moment as she picked up a small watering can and gave the den den mushi a little spray. It wiggled happily, one eyestalk twisting to stare at Sabo, and he wondered if it was trying to tell him something.

What had happened couldn’t be changed, Sabo knew. He regretted not being there for Ace, but he couldn’t change it. There were no magical machines or powers that could take him back in time. There were no magical cures to bring someone back from the dead. There weren’t even any ways to communicate with ghosts or the deceased. Sabo had looked into all possibilities and come up short – save for the devil’s fruit option.

He’d tried so hard to ignore it, of course he had. Even when he’d felt the fire burn through him and then die down he’d never really hoped, but part of Sabo wanted it to be real so badly, and the fact the Mera Mera no Mi didn’t answer his call only fuelled his stupid, selfish hope.

What would he do if Ace showed up anyway?

“Ah!” Koala shouted suddenly, throwing her arms up. “It nibbled the leaf!”

There was a rustle outside, and then Hack burst in, Leo seated quite happily on his shoulder.

“What happened?” he asked, looking from Sabo to Koala, and then at the den den mushi, which was happily eating its dinner for the first time in days. “It’s working?” Hack asked, and he sounded happier than he should. To be fair, Sabo thought, it had been days since they’d all had a proper meal, and Sabo doubted he was the only one missing the mess hall back home.

“We should be able to send a message out in a few hours,” Koala said merrily, beaming. She should be pleased too, den den mushi were stubborn bastards who never behaved for Sabo.  
They’d be leaving soon, this revelation meant, and Sabo felt a desperation rising in him, though he didn’t know why.

“We have a question,” Hack said, and Sabo looked at him in interest. “Or rather, Leo does.”

Leo puffed up his chest, nodding sagely. Sabo smiled. He liked the dwarves. Despite what they’d been through, they were welcoming and kind people, and they’d helped Luffy. They were helping them now, and Sabo would always remember their kindness.

“Have you seen a royal stag? Only, Princess Mansherry took one out earlier, but she hasn’t arrived back home yet and…” Leo drifted off, colour flushing his cheeks as he cleared his throat. “I mean to say we figured it was safe for her to go without proper security as she wanted to talk to this man alone, but I may have miscalculated.”

Sabo hid his smile well, though he thought it was incredibly sweet how Leo tried to pretend he didn’t have any feelings for Princess Mansherry. He was smitten, though, and try as he might, Leo couldn’t keep his fondness away.

“We’ll keep our eyes out for it,” Koala promised him gently, and Leo sighed, nodding and hopping down from Hack’s shoulder.

“It was worth a try,” he said, patting his sword and whistling for a creature to take him away. Nothing happened for a moment, and then there was the snort of a large beast, which sent Leo running from the tent.

“Princess!” he called, and Sabo shot a smirk in Koala’s direction. At least that was the issue of the missing princess over and done with. Koala rose and followed Hack as he went to see the princess, but Sabo lingered a little longer. His smiled was still wide and he thought about the ridiculousness of Leo. He really should just confess his feelings, and so should Mansherry for that matter.

It was quiet outside the tent, and Sabo rolled his eyes. If he didn’t join them, it was likely that Koala would haul him out anyway, and he didn’t fancy meeting her wrath tonight. He stood and sighed, striding from the tent with his shoulders squared and grin bright on his face, ready to taunt Leo and Mansherry.

Sabo slowed as he took in the scene. There was a large stag standing before Koala and Hack, and they were both tense, crouched into a familiar form that prepared for an attack. Hack spared him only a glance, but Koala straightened, turning to him with a wounded look on her face, worry and devastation clear in the way she held herself. Sabo’s stomach twisted into a tight knot and he opened his mouth to ask what was wrong.

“Sabo,” Koala said quietly and glanced towards the stag. Sabo’s eyes followed hers and he tried to keep his breathing steady, heartbeat regular. He had no idea what the threat was, but he had to be prepared. Sabo didn’t want to lose anything more.

“Sabo,” Hack echoed, and where his voice was usually cautioning or gentle, there was something else, something that almost sounded hopeful.

There was a rustle of leaves, and Sabo forgot how to breathe, his chest caught as his breath died in his throat. Tears sprung to his eyes instantly, and Sabo covered his mouth with his hand, caught between elation, wonder and a terrible, painful feeling.

Standing just to the side of the royal stag, looking not a day older than his wanted poster, was Firefist Ace. His hair was shorter, true, and he wore a t-shirt that covered his entire upper body, but Ace was there. _His brother was there_! It had worked, and his fire would never come to him because it wasn’t, would never be, his fire.


	4. Chapter 4

A sob caught in the back of Sabo’s throat, and he took half a step forwards, hardly believing his eyes. No matter what his dreams had been, no matter what he’d hoped, he’d never imagined, not once, that Ace would ever stand before him. He’d never thought a simple line in a book could change everything, but now it had, it had!

The world around them melted as Sabo took another step forward, and he could see relief reflected in Ace’s eyes. It faded quickly, and Sabo came to an abrupt halt, eyes widening as he realised what was about to happen. He shouted for Koala and Hack to get back – they did, thankfully – just as fire blazed towards Sabo, a huge wall cutting him and Ace off from the others.

This was the power Sabo had accepted, he thought as the fire crackled, hissing with every step Ace took. He was angry, Sabo could see, and the fire was belting out a ferocious heat. Ace could kill him, Sabo thought, and he would probably let him, though not without a fight. Perhaps he deserved it, Sabo thought, but he couldn’t afford to die so easily, not when he’d just found Luffy and had so much more to do for the world.

Ace was closer now, and he simply stared at Sabo. Sabo could see why the marines had been so keen to kill rather than make a wager. Ace was fiercely loyal and headstrong, but there was a killer calmness inside of him. He committed to an action, could plan and subdue his enemy all while keeping a cool head (most of the time), and Sabo swallowed thickly, meeting Ace’s eyes.

There was nothing to do but wait, Sabo knew, and he closed his eyes, smiling. His instincts screamed at him to open his eyes and fight, but Sabo remained strong, even when he felt Ace draw close. The fire seemed to close in around them, and Sabo tried not to think of bright lights, a tinny noise and the screams following an explosion from years ago, memories scattered and patchy at best. He could bear this, just as he’d withstood so much more before.

Pain exploded against his left cheek, and Sabo’s head snapped to the side. The fire seemed to wrap around them, though it was warm and smoothed over Sabo’s skin akin to a greeting, and then it was gone, replaced by something else that was warmer and far more unexpected.

There was nothing else Sabo could do but wrap his arms around Ace in return, burying his head against his neck and letting the years of anguish and grief build inside of him. They stood there, pressed against each other as if they could merge into one person, and then Sabo couldn’t hold it any longer. His tears flowed easily, grief ebbing and flowing inside of him as he dug his fingers into the back of Ace’s shoulders, shaking his head slightly.

“Now who’s the crybaby,” he heard Ace mutter softly, though it was clear he was struggling not to cry himself, and oh, how he’d changed so much from the child Sabo could hear in his memories.

They had so much to discuss, and for Sabo to explain he thought with a heavy twist in his chest, but all that mattered now was that Ace was here. He was whole, alive and here.

And if it was selfish then Sabo didn’t quite care. He was a revolutionary, and Ace was a pirate – no one ever said they couldn’t be selfish.

They broke apart slightly, though Sabo let his hands cling against Ace’s arms, Ace still resting his arms on his shoulders. Sabo smiled tentatively, watching as Ace’s gaze flickered over his scar, eyes widening.

“It happened when I left Fūsha,” he explained carefully, peeling Ace’s hand away and taking it. Sabo made to lead Ace to the tent, but stopped when Ace shook his head, nodding towards the shore instead.

“I’d prefer to stay outside,” he said softly, and Sabo nodded. The outside would be good, he thought, plenty of air to rid their demons in, plenty of space if they needed it and an open view to the one constant that had always been in their lives – the sea.

“I,” Ace began, and Sabo watched as his face crumpled, taking a deep breath and trying again. “I don’t understand.”

That was okay, Sabo thought, and he said as much. He could explain, and he began as they turned to walk onto the small beach. There was only a scrap of sand before yellow grasses took over, and they walked slowly, Sabo contemplating where to start as Ace kept his gaze out on the horizon.

“I didn’t die,” he started, wincing as the words tumbled out. “That much is probably obvious by now.”

Ace snorted, and it was full of amusement. The amusement gave Sabo hope, hope that he could begin to fix the bond between them, and he nodded to himself, steeling his courage.

“I was caught up in the explosion, but Dragon-san saved me. I didn’t-“ Sabo broke off, frowning. “I was hurt badly.”

Not as badly as Ace had been, Sabo thought, but it was a good second. Ace paused, turning towards the sea, and Sabo took the hint, digging his heels into sandy grass and turning towards the water.

“I saw your scar,” Ace said quietly. His voice was deeper than the one in Sabo’s mind, a man’s voice, not a child’s. He realised now that he didn’t really know Ace, or rather this Ace. He knew the child who had been so angry at the world, but he didn’t know the second division commander of the strongest pirate crew in the world (and there was no doubt they were still that, despite their losses).

“Yeah,” Sabo said softly, and he nudged Ace’s shoulder gently, taking a risk. “I hated it after… well, I’ll get to that, but it’s also part of me.”

Sabo pressed his lips together tightly, eyes prickling and throat tightening as he tried not to think of the newspapers back then, proudly announcing Ace’s death.

“I lost my memories,” he rushed out, and Ace turned to him. While Sabo couldn’t see his expression, he could guess the look on Ace’s face. It was likely the look everyone gave him when he told them (well, the few people he had told), shock, confusion and – though this was likely unique to Ace – betrayal.

“I didn’t mean to,” Sabo said quickly, “If I could choose, I never would have forgotten, never!”

A huff passed out of Ace and Sabo looked at him, disbelief flooding through him. Was Ace laughing?

“You idiot,” he muttered, and Sabo looked away, frowning. “Even Dadan and the rest wouldn’t have blamed you for something like that.”

Sabo sniffed, trying to hold back the prickle of tears that threatened to fall. Logically he knew he couldn’t help the fact he’d forgotten, but he still had so many regrets due to it.

“Look,” Ace said, voice low, and, before Sabo knew it, he was hauled in for a hug, Ace squeezing him tightly. Sabo wrapped his arms around Ace against, fingers digging into the fabric of his top tightly. “I don’t blame you. It was something you couldn’t control – fuck, Sabo, they tried to kill you!”

Ace pulled back, his eyes wide and brow furrowed. Sabo sniffed, wiped his nose and looked away quickly.

“They took something from you, something precious,” Ace continued, and he took Sabo’s hands gently, squeezing them tightly. At once, Sabo felt like a child again, though it was ridiculous for his own mother had never been this tender, and no one else had shown a mother’s affection in this way. It was a loving, caring gesture, and Sabo turned his hands until he could squeeze back, linking their fingers.

“I remembered only after the papers came through about Marineford,” Sabo said softly, and he felt Ace instantly tense up. It had to only be a week at most since he’d been resurrected, Sabo thought, and wondered if Ace had been able to understand and process the fact he’d, well, died.

Ace was dealing well with this situation, but learning a brother you thought was dead but had never actually died was a completely different thing to dying and coming back yourself. And even after that there was the how he died to reconsider and-

Luffy.

“I wanted to be there,” Sabo continued hastily. There was so much they needed to unwind and wade through, and Sabo realised he couldn’t be there for all of it. He hadn’t been there – hadn’t felt Ace die in his arms – and so he couldn’t walk the full road of healing with Ace. But that was okay, he’d do what he could.

“Sabo,” Ace said firmly, though his voice was quiet. He looked Sabo in the eye and shook his head slightly, eyes darting around them. “I didn’t even want Luffy there. If you’d been there too-“

“I could have done something,” Sabo retorted sharply, pulling away from Ace and gritting his jaw. “I could have been there, I could have stopped him. I could have done _something_ ,” he repeated looking down.

A laugh erupted from Ace, and that was something Sabo recognised without a doubt. He looked up. Ace had his eyes closed and was laughing loudly, head tilted back. He looked years younger in that instant, moonlight throwing soft shadows over his face, and when he looked at Sabo, laughter trailing off in the cool of the night, the despair and uneasiness that had been haunting him had vanished.

“You don’t get it, do you,” he said, voice incredulous as he shook his head. A smile still played on Ace’s lips, but it was softer, a fond smile now.

“No,” Sabo admitted, shifting where he stood. Frankly, he didn’t know where he fell in terms of Ace’s life, but he was willing to weather any storm to find out and be there.

“You did do something,” Ace said, and it was so unexpected that Sabo felt his stomach drop, entire body shaking for a moment as he processed the words. “I have no fucking idea what you did, but you brought me back.”

Ace gave a laugh, gripping Sabo’s shoulders and shaking him once, pulling him in for another hug after.

“I’m alive, Sabo,” he said, “and it’s all because of you!”

**.**

Seeing Sabo was… not what Ace had imagined. His scar was uncomfortable to look at, but not for the reasons one might suspect. Seeing Sabo’s scar, and seeing him so comfortable with it, reminded Ace of the bloom on his chest and back, and that was something he couldn’t deal with yet. He needed to understand what it was Sabo had done – and why he’d never come back to them.

He’d walked in angry, wanting to hit Sabo, to shout at him, to tear him apart for making them (making Luffy) hurt so badly. Ace had been ready to burn everything when he’d seen Sabo, but the feeling had faded as soon as it had flared, and all Ace had wanted then was to hug Sabo, to assure himself Sabo was really, really there.

Sabo really had grown up, Ace realised. He had his struggles, and Ace’s gut coiled when Sabo said he’d forgotten everything. He should have known that an entire ocean wouldn’t have been enough to stop Sabo from getting to Marineford if he’d known – but he hadn’t. And Ace couldn’t even find it in him to be at least mildly annoyed at Sabo.

And, Ace thought as he inhaled sea-laden air, if Sabo was the one to bring him back, Ace owed him a lot. Enough to cancel out Sabo leaving them at any rate. They’d just been children, running wild and free, eager to start their real adventures, and so Ace felt nothing negative towards Sabo.

For a while, they sat on the scraggy shore, Sabo talking about the Revolutionaries. He was Chief of Staff, one of the highest in the entire organisation, and Ace felt pride well in his chest. Even if they’d all split, even if they hadn’t seen each other in such a long time, even if they were dead (or not really dead), they were still brothers, still bonded. Ace needed to get to know Sabo again, but he would always, always be his brother.

“At the moment I work mostly with Hack and Koala, who are at the base camp,” Sabo said, and Ace nodded, remembering the cautious looks both of them had given him when he’d shown up with the princess dwarf.

“Do you want to know?” Sabo asked suddenly, and Ace felt tension rise around them. It was what he needed to know, but did he want to? Not particularly. Knowing complicated things. Knowing took him away from the bubble of calm and happiness he’d just found. Knowing meant accepting and moving on, and Ace wasn’t ready for that.

“Only how,” he said tightly, and Sabo shuffled a little closer, their arms touching.

“I didn’t think it would work,” Sabo started, and Ace nodded. There weren’t exactly bubbling reports of people coming back from the dead, so why would anyone think it could work?

“I read it in a book,” Sabo said, straightening up a little, as if he expected Ace to scoff. Ace wasn’t going to laugh, not at all. Knowledge was power, at the end of the day, and Ace knew he needed to listen to people who were a little more knowledgeable sometimes. Particularly after leaving the Moby Dick last time.

“It was just one line, but it stuck out.” Sabo drew his knees up, hugging them to his chest. “It gave me the idea that if I ate your Mera Mera no Mi, I’d be able to bring you back. It had to be me, though I wasn’t sure our bond would be strong enough.”

Clearly it was, Ace thought, warmth blossoming in his chest and flowing through his body. He tingled with happiness, smiling and leaning his head against Sabo’s shoulder. There were very few people Ace was content to be this comfortable around, and, dare he say it, this intimate with, but Sabo had never left the list.

He made Ace feel calm, as he had always done. When they were younger, Ace had also felt hope rise in him whenever he was with Sabo, but that hope had mellowed. Ace had the life he wanted (or had had the life he wanted, he had no idea the current standing on that, and he was happy not knowing for now), and it seemed that Sabo did too. He was no longer running from the demons of his past or trying to flee to a better life. Just as Luffy and the Whitebeard pirates would always symbolise home, so would Sabo.

“Tasted like shit,” Sabo said fondly, and Ace couldn’t help but laugh at that.

“I never believed Luffy when he told us what it was like,” Ace said, and they both fell silent, staring out at the dark ocean.

“We need to see him,” Ace said softly. It was his original goal, after all, and even Sabo couldn’t stop him. He needed more though, and whether he liked it or not, Sabo needed to come too. It didn’t matter if the marines stood in their way – the three of them needed to be together again, even if for the tiniest moment.

“Yeah,” Sabo said, though he sounded as if his mind was on something else entirely. “Do you want to, you know?”

Ace turned to look at him, shaking his head.

“What happened to you. I mean, do you want to talk about that?”

Ace felt something burn through him and panic welled up. His breathing came shorter and shallower, his eyes widening as he shook his head. He could feel every part of his body burning – melting – and closed his eyes, gritting his teeth and willing the sensation away. There was nothing he could do, and Ace curled in on himself, feeling pathetic and useless as his body began to tremble, the feeling of something pulling out of his torso and taking half of his body with it plaguing him.

“Shit,” Sabo said, but his voice sounded too far away for Ace to pay attention to it. “Ace, please, I didn’t-“ he broke off, and Ace tried to curl up tighter. He could hear movement, and then there was a voice at his ear.

“What can I do?” Sabo said, and Ace latched onto his voice, stilling the panic for just a tiny moment to tell Sabo he was melting, falling apart. A split second later, he was hauled up and half-dragged forwards, Sabo grunting as he moved them.

The next sensation Ace felt was something wet, something cold, and something that tired him out the instant it touched him. His skin prickled with goosebumps instantly, the water washing away the feeling of burning and melting as the waves lapped over Ace’s torso. He spluttered as he inhaled salty water, and Sabo hauled him up higher as they kept moving out to sea.

“You’re not there,” Sabo said firmly, when he finally came to a stop. They were in the water, about mid-chest deep, Ace’s arm around Sabo’s shoulders. He was floating, supported only by Sabo, and while he felt as weak as he had when chained up at Impel Down, the feeling of Akainu over him was gone, lulled away by the push and pull of the waves.

“You’re here, with me,” Sabo said, and Ace nodded slowly. He could feel his body still shaking, but they were less violent trembles now. “We’ll do this slowly and together, okay? We’ll do what we need to do, but until then it doesn’t matter.”

Ace nodded slowly again, the sea draining his ability to talk, and Sabo turned, marching them back to shore. They fell on their backs back on the scraggy dunes and were silent for a long while.

“That’s never happened before,” Ace said, though it was a lie really. It had never happened to that degree, but only because he’d pushed it completely from his mind and thought only about Luffy. Now that he didn’t have to think as much, Akainu could press forwards much more easily.

Ace knew he had to talk about it at some point. He knew he had to process what had happened and how it had happened. He knew all this and it terrified him. He didn’t want to remember Marineford, didn’t want to remember how Akainu had killed him, and he certainly didn’t want to remember his last moments. Yet, there they were, and would always be, in his mind, just waiting to creep up and surprise him.

“Would you like to meet Koala and Hack?” Sabo said, and Ace was grateful for the change in conversation. He agreed – meeting new people would take his mind off of things, and they trailed back to the path leading to the beach uncomfortably, wet clothes chafing skin.

“I have some spare clothes,” Sabo said, stopping off at the boat before they headed back to the tents. It was a comfortable boat, one that was clearly home when at sea for Sabo, and Ace watched him move around with ease, humming lightly to himself as he picked out some clothes.

“I’ll get something comfortable,” he commented, pulling out a few shirts and shaking his head. “It’ll be a bit on the old side, but, well.” Sabo handed Ace a pile of soft clothes, and Ace took them slowly. He paused, not wanting to undress before someone else, and Sabo seemed to understand.

“I’m just going to go to the toilet,” he said simply, and Ace sighed in relief as he left. “Just shout if you need me!” Sabo called out, and Ace thanked him, slipping his wet clothes off and drying himself with a towel Sabo had left on the desk. His skin would be a little sticky until tomorrow morning when he showered (his boat’s shower was small but did the job), but he didn’t feel up to a shower tonight.

As he peeled his top off, Ace’s hand rested over his belly. His fingers smoothed his muscles, taking in familiar bumps and dips, trailing upwards slowly. He inhaled sharply as he felt the edge of his scar, and closed his eyes, placing his entire palm over it.

This was part of him, Ace told himself. He hated it, but he’d hated his entire existence before, so it was really nothing new. Ace opened his eyes, but he didn’t look down, instead he reached for Sabo’s top and slipped it on, exhaling a long breath when he was covered up.

It was better if he didn’t see it, Ace thought, and grunted to himself. He hadn’t been this cowardly in a long while, but he couldn’t stop now. Sabo might have made peace with his scars, but Ace couldn’t just yet.

He was pulling shorts on when Sabo knocked against the door. He poked his head round with a small smile, and Ace met it eagerly, moving to him. They left the boat, walking quietly to the tents.

“We can go after Luffy tomorrow,” Sabo said suddenly, and the small pleasantries Ace had been trying to think of to cut through the silence faltered.

“I thought he was headed to Zō?” Ace said, remembering what the dwarves had told him. They hadn’t lied to him, had they?

Sabo nodded. “That’s the plan, but I’m not sure if he’s recovered yet. I left him and a few others in hiding. It’s worth starting there – they were in a pretty bad state when I left.”

Ace bit down the urge to comment on that, about how he would never have left Luffy in a bad state and simply walked off. He knew Sabo would never have left Luffy if he’d needed him. He knew that. It was just hard keeping his thoughts in line.

Besides, he’d left Luffy to worse, so he was a filthy hypocrite, no matter how hard he tried not to be.

“Good,” Ace said instead, nodding. They were close to the camp now, judging by the soft glow emitting from a campfire. Sabo took the lead as they walked into the circle that served as a meeting place for the tents, and two tentative faces looked up at them.

“Hack, Koala,” Sabo said, half turning towards Ace with a huge smile. “I’d like you to meet Portgas D. Ace, my brother.”

Even if he was still struggling to cope with everything, even if he still needed time to process who Sabo was and what he meant to Ace, and even if he was still uncertain about his future, Ace had never heard words that comforted him more than Sabo’s. He smiled widely, bowing politely and greeting both Hack and Koala, ignoring the eyebrow raise Sabo gave him, clearly wondering where Ace had learnt such manners.

And so there was still so much they had to deal with, but Sabo was his brother, someone he loved and who loved him. Ace knew, in that moment as the fire hissed and Koala approached Ace, curiosity getting the better of her unease, that he would be okay, no matter how much pain and sorrow he still have to carve through.

His brother was back.


	5. Chapter 5

Ace stirred, feeling the world gather around him, darkness fading into the back of his mind. Part of his mind was aware he was asleep (or rather half-asleep), but he didn’t want to properly wake himself, hoping he’d fall back into proper sleep. He was tired, and needed the sleep. Being with Sabo was wonderful and tiring all at the same time, for they had so much to remember between them and a new bond to reaffirm. Ace wouldn’t change anything, wouldn’t spend even a second less in Sabo’s company, but he was just human, and humans were prone to becoming tired. 

It wasn’t the comforting darkness (strangely the only darkness Ace seemed to be able to cope with, no flashbacks of Teach or Impel Down and its prisoners ringing in his ears) of sleep that he found, though. That would simply have been too easy, after all, and Ace had never really had it easily.

No, instead of sleep, he was at Marineford, on the ground after Akainu had thrown him back after they’d clashed physically for the first time. His left arm burnt, the skin charred from flecks of magma – scars Ace’s arm was littered with still, scars he could almost imagine were silvery freckles – and he could barely move it. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears, the shout of his nakama behind him, urging him to just leave, to get on the ship, and Ace had been foolish, standing up to Akainu, but how dare he insult Whitebeard like that.

And then Ace was watching Akainu go for Luffy, fist dripping lava as he charged, and there was no time to call out, no time to do anything but _move_. So he did, blocking Akainu’s fist, saving Luffy and burning, melting, burning, burning, melting, melting and melting.

Ace knew what happened like a story he had read over and over again. And it hurt. His arm hurt, his chest hurt, everything hurt, and Ace woke with a start, vaulting upwards. He was drenched in sweat, and his arm carried the signs of pins and needles in it, a sign the pain had been nothing more than him lying on his arm. Ace scowled at himself, trying to get his breathing under control, and tried to push Akainu from his mind. It was hard, though, and phantom pain sparked against his skin, as if the magma flecks were burning into him once more.

“He’s not here,” Ace hissed to himself, fighting the urge to hit the side of his head to jar his stupid brain into making sense. It wasn’t real, he was stupid, why wouldn’t his body just listen? “He’s not fucking here, so stop being so fucking weak.”

His shoulder slumped, the tingle in his arm finally fading, and Ace covered it with his right hand. There were patches of bare skin between dark hairs where the magma scars were, and Ace closed his eyes, trying to will himself to stop thinking about Akainu and magma. He didn’t care what he thought about, but anything was better than the dream he had just had.

It didn’t work. With a sigh, Ace moved out of the camp bed he was on and turned on the little gas lamp, returning to bed and watching the little flame flicker. He was in the tent that had been Hack’s, before it had graciously been offered to him. Ace would have felt bad if he hadn’t needed to be alone when he slept, not ready for someone else to see his nightmares, and Sabo had directed him to an already-empty tent two days ago, not even batting an eyelid when Ace had tried to refuse. He’d apologised to Hack the morning after and only received a kind smile for his troubles, Hack thanking him for not blaming Sabo (not that he could - there was nothing to blame for as far as Ace was concerned).

While it still hurt to think of Sabo, it was far better than thinking of Akainu and pain, and so Ace focused on thoughts of his brother. He’d come to learn a lot about Sabo’s life in the past few days, and Ace had even opened up about his own. His stories had become a little quieter when focusing on the Whitebeard pirates, but what little Ace could tell him, Sabo had listened eagerly.

“I’m glad they were there for you,” Sabo had said the night before, Koala and Hack turning away for a moment. Ace had smiled, for once the lingering guilt and pain he felt when he thought of his family absent.

“Me too,” he had replied, launching into a tale for Koala and Hack, of Sabo and Fūsha.

Getting to know Sabo all over again was nice, Ace thought, as he watched the lamp flicker. He was the same person, still angry at the world, still upset he couldn’t do more, but he was also so much more. There was more to Sabo than Ace had been able to comprehend as a child, and he really couldn’t have asked for better brothers than the ones he had.

“They’re set to leave Dressrosa today,” Koala called from outside the tent, knocking on the door and entering when Ace said she could. He wrapped his blanket around his chest a little tighter and sat up, returning the smile Koala shot him.

“Do you really think we’ll catch up with him?” Ace asked, though he knew they would. Sabo had promised, after all, and Ace needed to do this, even if it terrified him.

“We’re just waiting for one of them to call,” Koala continued, running a hand through her hair and yawning. She’d evidently had the last watch.

“Are you sure it’s okay for Sabo to leave you two?” he asked, and Koala looked at Ace, smiling brightly, all traces of exhaustion gone.

“Of course,” she said, taking a step closer to Ace. “At the worst we’ll be a week or so delayed, but when the others find out our real reason for our delay…” Koala trailed off, shrugging. “We all recall what it was like for Sabo after he remembered. I never want to see anyone like that again, not you nor Sabo. You both need this.”

Koala truly was kind, Ace thought. He knew she’d suffered, but she’d remained kind through it all and used all her power to do something good. Ace wished he had even an ounce of the kindness she did, remembering blood splattering the ground at Marineford, blood that had spilt due to him. His dream echoed in his mind, and Ace shook it off, plastering a smile on his face as he launched into an avid discussion of what was for breakfast, thinking of anything he could to distract himself.

It was Leo who made the call, voice tinny over the den den mushi.

“We’re leaving for Zō!” he called, and Sabo nodded, gesturing to Koala. Ace watched as she began packing things up (not that there was much left to pack, Ace had been determined to pull his weight and had set to tidying up over the past day or so), motions quick and precise. They were used to having to leave quickly then.

“I’d rather not meet the others,” Sabo said, and Ace felt him glance his way. “We’d like to keep this under wraps for as long as possible,” he added, and Ace nodded to himself. That was something they’d discussed, knowing that if Ace’s return should be found out before he got back to the safety of his crew, there was a large chance he wouldn’t be able to make it back soon. And, despite the dark voice in the back of his head telling Ace that would be perfect, keeping his return hidden really was the smartest thing.

“Okay, so if we set out soon we’d be able to curve round the front? Or…” Sabo sighed as the connection whistled, the line dropping for a moment.

“There’s a small outcrop of tiny islands between here and Zō,” Leo said, voice returning to them. “I can convince the others to hold back while Luffy-oyabun goes to the beach island, it’s small enough for a tiny stop.” There was a pause. “I’ll tell him there’s something there.”

“Tell him there’s meat there,” Ace said with a snort. It was only half a joke. It was the sort of thing Luffy would chase, and everyone would likely just go along with it. Luffy didn’t exactly give anyone a choice.

“Meat it is then,” Leo said merrily, and then the connection was gone again, leaving the plan to go ahead.

Ace stood quickly, stretching out his arms. There was panic inside of him, but it had largely settled, and his smile was sincere when he looked at Sabo. They were really doing this, he thought, and excitement bubbled inside of him with the anxiousness. He was going to see his little brother again.

Preparations were launched into progress, Koala and Hack packing everything up. It had been decided that they’d retreat on board the ship while Sabo was gone, ready to sail after him if they needed to. As for Sabo and Ace, they’d be alone on Ace’s borrowed ship, a suggestion that Sabo had raised an eyebrow too but not questioned. They’d be in close quarters, and there was really only one way Sabo was going to get back to Koala and Hack if they did this, but Ace needed the push.

In his mind, the logical plan was for Sabo to come with him, re-join Luffy, celebrate and then Sabo leave on the borrowed boat. Maybe he’d return it to the island it had come from or maybe he’d take it back to the Revolutionaries, Ace wasn’t sure on that one. What he was sure of was that he’d stay on Luffy’s ship and go from there. There was more chance of running into his crew if he stayed with Luffy, but even more so, Ace wasn’t sure he would be able to leave Luffy behind so quickly.

The boat was loaded and soon they were off, gliding away from Green Bit and towards the small fleet of marine ships waiting around the coasts of Dressrosa. There was a flurry of activity on board, Ace saw when he looked through the telescope, and he looked away quickly, afraid he might see a face he recognised from the battlefield.

“They’ll see us like this,” Ace said, not believing Sabo could be so stupid as to lead them right under the marines.

“Good,” Sabo shot back, directing Ace a little more towards the coast. “We’re travelling in a merchant ship that is currently in fashion for timely delivery of goods. We’ve used these a lot when scouting out areas in the New World, and if they came in bigger sizes I think we’d use them a lot more. The marines won’t even blink, even if you stand there shooting flames at them.” Sabo laughed at that, a low sound that warmed Ace’s chest, and he snorted.

“Good to know that much hasn’t changed at least,” Ace said, adjusting the course of the ship and looking around.

It was a while before Ace saw a large collection of ships and he felt a shiver pass through him. When he’d heard Luffy had new followers (and he was still a bit iffy if Luffy had actually accepted them or just done what he usually did in refusing and letting them do whatever they want – ending with them sailing under his name regardless), but he hadn’t expected a force the size that even seasoned pirates on Whitebeard’s ship would have raised eyebrows at. It really was true, Ace thought as he watched the bob of ships on the sea, amazed by the size of them, Luffy really was amazing.

“Sometimes it’s hard to remember he’s the stupid little brother of ours who was nothing but a cry baby,” Sabo said softly, his eyes fixed on the row of ships too.

“He’ll always be a stubborn idiot,” Ace said fondly, eyes springing with tears as he thought of how much Luffy had grown, how much he had fought and gained and climbed. He would become the Pirate King, Ace was sure.

“He’ll always need us though,” Ace said, believing that much with every bone in his body. Sabo turned to him, eyes wide, and Ace knew he’d been worrying about it. “Luffy is powerful, but he doesn’t fight alone. He fights for the people he loves. He fights for what he wants, true, but he knows he can’t do it alone.” Ace reached out and clasped Sabo’s shoulder, leaning against him a little, smiling widely.

“He has his nakama and his brothers,” Ace said. “He doesn’t care about anything unless he can share it with them.”

“Except meat,” Sabo muttered, voice light, and his worries dissipated. He shot Ace a grateful look and then directed him to steer the boat around the ships, wanting to stay as low key as they could. They’d definitely be spotted when they came closer to little island, but there should be some distance between the larger ships and the beach.

Sure enough, when they moved closer to one of the outside boats, a sound of alarm rose. The island was still some way away, but the ship above them soon became full of curious people, peering over the side and on the lookout posts to see what exactly the commotion was about. Sounds of incredulity and awe poured over the sea towards them, and Ace fought hard not to rush inside to get away from their stares.

“I wish I had my hat,” he said, and Sabo grinned, taking his own hat from his head and offering it. Ace was quick to accept, and while he looked a little ridiculous in it, the top hat helped stave off the stares. They didn’t stop by any means, but he couldn’t feel or see them as much, and that was what mattered.

They thankfully steered away from the line of flanking boats, and it wasn’t long before Ace could see the scrubby green of vegetation and the soft yellow of sand. There were people dotted on the island too, some seeming to be completely at ease relaxing, and Ace saw Leo’s ship anchored nearby.

“We’ll pull up beside that ship,” Sabo said, confirming what Ace had been thinking. “We can then walk onto the beach.” He paused. “Maybe we’ll go a little closer to shore though. I think they had a small rowboat they could use for the devil fruit users.”

Ace smiled grimly, nerves clouding any thoughts of even trying to speak. He nodded instead, ducking down into the shadows of the boat as they drew closer to the beach, trying to hide the inevitable.

As they secured their boat, Sabo jumped down into the knee-deep water, looking back at Ace with a frown. It would be a push, but the sea water would help Ace forget his nerves and panic for a moment, so he jumped in, only just managing to keep his footing as exhaustion and nausea rolled through him, waves lapping at his legs.

It was nothing compared to weeks in Impel Down. There he’d been chained with sea stone and surrounded by the sea, its power oozing through the walls. Impel Down had been a dark, haunted place, and Ace thought he could survive swimming in the open ocean after being down there for so long.

Every step felt as if Ace was once again walking to the execution platform, except worse. Death had been a surety, and Ace had told himself he’d accept whatever happened, so he had. Death was a finality, he wouldn’t have to deal with the consequences after. If Luffy rejected him, pushed him away, anything, Ace didn’t know how he’d be able to continue.

They walked onto the shore easily, and Ace risked a glance at the small group. They seemed to have divided up a little, Luffy and his long-nosed crewmate laughing over something in the bushes. A beetle, if the way Luffy held out his hand was any indication, and he turned with a grin, meaning to show his prize to the others, and instead met Ace’s eyes.

There was a moment of terrible silence as Luffy’s laughter cut short. Everyone seemed to turn at that moment, realising their visitors were those they very much knew, and Ace felt as if all the blood in his veins had turned to ice. The moment lengthened, Luffy’s arm dropping to his side and the beetle making good of its escape, flying off into the bushes. Ace could see his long-nosed friend look nervously from him to Luffy, but he didn’t dare move.

Luffy’s lips moved and, even at this distance, Ace knew they were silently forming his name. He swallowed, though his throat was far too dry and it made the lump that had formed grow even larger, and his stomach hurt with the nerves that were battling inside of him. The only movement Ace could do was to nod, though it was a tiny inclination of his head, almost barely there. Luffy seemed to see it, though, and it was all he needed.

In a flurry of sand and arms, Ace was forced onto the ground. Sabo’s hat toppled away from them, and Ace could hear Sabo laugh as he went to chase it. He could hear Luffy sobbing against his chest, feel his elastic limbs wrapped around him (his arms, his chest, his waist, his legs – Luffy wasn’t taking any chances), and Ace felt all the barriers he’d convinced himself he could keep up break.

“Luffy,” he whispered, tears clumping sand onto his face. He wrapped his arms around Luffy tightly, so glad that he had survived when Ace had not, so happy that he had become this amazing man and so, so delighted that he was here - _and that he didn’t hate Ace_!

“Ace!” Luffy said, voice wobbly and face almost unrecognisable under the tears and sand. “Ace!” he wailed again, burying his face against Ace’s chest, squeezing tighter.

In that moment, Ace wondered how he could ever have been scared Luffy would reject him. Luffy would always be Luffy, no matter what. He was full of so much love, had literally walked through hell countless times just to protect Ace, and had sacrificed so much. Ace still didn’t know the full details of what had happened at Marineford (the marines had been very tight lipped about the damage at Impel Down, and he had no way of knowing what had happened to Luffy after the battle other than that he’d returned to ring the bell with Silvers Rayleigh), but there was nothing that could have happened that would have stopped Luffy loving him.

“Luffy,” Ace replied, shaking his head and laughing, “Sabo did it! He brought me back!”

Luffy’s watery smile turned to Sabo then, one arm snaking out slowly from Ace to drag Sabo down. They settled in a heap, Luffy torn over who he should cry on, and it really was amazing to see that, deep down – when he didn’t need to be the one in control – Luffy was still such a ridiculous crybaby.

It was a long while before Luffy let go of them, and even after he remained with one arm coiled tightly around Ace’s right arm. He smiled easily, babbling about how much he’d missed Ace and how he’d met up with Sabo again, and it was almost enough to believe that Ace had never died, that he’d never abandoned Luffy to his fate.

“I need you to tell me what happened,” Ace said suddenly, cutting into a lull in the conversation Luffy had been having with Sabo, over which sauces worked best with steak. “After… after I died.”

Luffy’s smile dropped, and Ace was grateful that his crew had returned to Leo’s ship when they’d all still been down in the sand. This wasn’t a moment Ace could share with anyone else just yet.

The uneasiness in his stomach hadn’t faded, even after meeting with Luffy. There was still so much he needed to know before he could move on, but Ace hadn’t wanted to know before. It was too late to turn back now, and he suspected that Luffy needed to do this too. He might have put his grief behind him, but Ace was back now. They needed to process what this meant together.

“Okay,” Luffy said, dipping his head down and tightening his grip on Ace’s arm.

At his other side, Sabo shifted closer, pressing their arms together, and Ace appreciated the contact. This was going to be hard enough as it was, but he had his brothers and he knew he’d be able to listen.

Whether he could move on was another issue entirely.

  
****

.

The seas were good and the sailing nice today, but something was definitely missing from the ship. Marco paced before his office window, glancing out at the horizon for any sign of landmasses.

“Zō is still quite a way away, you know,” Jozu said from where he sat, thumbing through papers with a sigh. He scratched his head, threw the stack back down on the desk and glared over at Marco. “Sit or get out, you’re distracting me.”

Marco wanted to retort that it was his office, but he did as told and sat, leaning back in his chair. Rather than follow Ace to Dressrosa, they’d chosen to sail directly for Zō instead, hoping they could cut Ace off before he reached there. An untimely shift in current (there was a storm up ahead one of the navigators had said, and it was a particularly bad one that had wrecked the cold current they’d been following) had slowed their progress, and Marco was tempted to fly out and scour the oceans himself.

He wouldn’t though. He couldn’t leave his family behind like that, and Marco certainly couldn’t deny them the chance of seeing Ace again when he did. So instead he stayed, overseeing as he had for the past few years, but there were moments of restlessness he couldn’t keep down.

“Do you think he’s happy?” Marco asked suddenly. It was a question that had been bothering since they’d left for Zō, but he hadn’t dared vocalise it before now.

Jozu shifted in his chair, grunting.

“What do you mean?” he replied, and Marco looked out of the window, tempted just to shrug and be done with it.

“I mean, do you think he’s happy how he is? What if he doesn’t want to come back?” It was perhaps Marco’s greatest fear, that Ace didn’t want to come back. If he was happy, Marco wouldn’t mind as much, but if he was scared, and he didn’t want to return…

Not that he’d blame Ace, Marco thought. They had failed to save Ace from Akainu of course, and Whitebeard had died at Marineford too. They’d failed their father and brother, and it was a heavy burden that still weighed on Marco’s shoulders.

“You’re not an idiot,” Jozu snorted, standing up. “So stop asking questions you already know the answer to. Ace will come back, you know that. If he meets with Strawhat then he’ll be happy, but you know he couldn’t stay with Strawhat forever. Ace will come back, and maybe then we can all sort ourselves out properly,” Jozu finished with a sad smile. He felt the same grief as Marco – they all did – and his words were truthful.

“Perhaps I just wanted to test you,” Marco replied, eyes scanning the waves. They both knew it was a lie, that Marco hadn’t been testing anything but his own uncertainties, and Jozu left quietly shortly after, leaving Marco to his thoughts.

In his head, he imagined Ace’s homecoming both as a grand celebration and a nondescript affair. Part of him envisioned celebrations and huge feasts, while the other imagined Ace simply stepping on board simply, right into Marco and the others’ embrace. In reality, Marco didn’t care much about how it happened, just that Ace came home.

There was an ache in his chest. It had been there since Marineford, but it had begun to fade over time. Now, though, with the prospect of Ace being so close to them, Marco’s chest practically burnt with want and need. It had been so long since Ace had been home, and while their ship might have changed, this still was Ace’s home.

As long as he wanted it to be, that was. Marco wasn’t sure what he’d do if Ace didn’t want to return here, but as long as he was happy…

“Captain!” a voice shouted over the den den mushi. “We’ve sighted Strawhat Luffy’s ship!”

Marco took the den den mushi carefully, a smile growing on his face.

“Head towards it, it shouldn’t be too far out from Zō,” Marco said, though he hadn’t been expecting to come across Luffy’s ship so soon. The news coo hadn’t even reported that he’d left Dressrosa yet, though that could be information the marines wanted to hold back, of course.

As long as they were near Luffy’s ship, they’d get to see Ace again. And even if Ace wanted to stay away from them, at least they’d get to see him, Marco thought. He nodded to himself, set the den den mushi back on its perch and looked to the window once more, a determined smile on his face.

“We’ll be there soon, Ace,” Marco promised to the empty room.

  
****

.

Seeing Luffy so serious wasn’t something Ace thought he’d ever get used to. He was used to the goofball, the crybaby, the anything-but-serious one. Now, seated in a small, huddled triangle, Ace realised he didn’t like the expression he was seeing. His leg tingled with warning pins and needles, but Ace ignored it, fixed on what Luffy was telling him. Sabo, too, seemed transfixed by the story, his hand gripping Ace’s forearm tightly (the same arm that held Ace’s tribute to him, and he was thankful Sabo hadn’t laughed at the crossed out S, saying lightly that he should get one to match, only with the A crossed out - Ace still wasn’t sure if he was joking or not).

“I couldn’t move,” Luffy said softly, the waves replying to his words, the sound of water brushing the shore surrounding them. “I kept telling myself I needed to move, to get out of the way, but I just couldn’t. And then… then you were there.”

Ace clenched his jaw, remembering the way his arm had hurt so, so much, the way Akainu had moved past him as if he was _nothing_ to strike at Luffy. He remembered…

“You held me,” Ace said, though the words were said through his teeth, more painful than the punch Akainu had met his own with. “You held me as… as I died.”

Luffy was pale when he nodded, letting one of his hands curl over the top of his top, pulling the dark fabric down to show his scarred chest. Ace inhaled sharply and shook his head, the sight of Luffy’s mark too much, and he scrabbled upwards, pushing Sabo off of him and storming off down the beach, away from the sea, away from the boats and the people. He didn’t hear anyone following him and Ace was grateful for that, chest heaving and eyes wild as he searched for something, anything, that could help get rid of Luffy’s scar.

Nothing could, of course. The scar was years old now anyway, healthy skin replacing what had no doubt been a magma burn from Akainu. It was a constant reminder, just like Sabo’s scars, but neither of them seemed to mind. They had accepted their scars, and Ace found himself curling up at the base of a large tree, forehead resting against his knees.

He knew he was stupid. He knew he was ridiculous. He knew he was weak. There were no other words to describe someone like him, someone who couldn’t even look at the scar he’d caused his own brother to receive and not run. Ace was a coward and the word coiled ugly in his stomach, like spoilt milk.

“You used to be better at hiding,” a warm voice said, two pairs of footsteps sounding near Ace. Sabo was the one who had spoken, but it was Luffy who approached first, crouching before Ace with a wide smile.

“It never hurt,” Luffy said, and his words were so sincere that Ace wanted to believe him. “Jinbe got me out of there before anything, and Traffy patched me back up. I’m good!”

Ace looked at him, staring into Luffy’s eyes for any trace of a lie. Luffy had never been good at hiding things, even now, and Ace couldn’t see a single hint of a lie. There was no blame or hint of hatred in Luffy’s eyes, and Ace found himself believing that maybe, just maybe, what happened could be left in the past.

Ace took Luffy by his shoulders, slowly uncurling himself. His left hand moved down slightly, to press against the edge of the scar, and Luffy nodded, still smiling. He pressed his palm flat against the scar, near Luffy’s heart, and closed his eyes to feel it beating. He felt Luffy’s heart pumping and his ribcage move with each breath, and Ace nodded slowly, inhaling deeply and drawing his hand back.

“I don’t regret what I did,” he said, shifting slightly as Luffy and Sabo joined him against the tree. It was a bit of a tight fit, but they managed it. Ace let his eyes half-close, staring out at the ocean between foliage.

“I regret leaving you behind, though,” Ace said. Because even if he was back now, he had died. He had died in Luffy’s arms and left him, and no matter how much peace he found with that fact, it was something that wouldn’t change.

“I regret not being there,” Sabo said, and Ace could see his grin from the corner of his eye. “You’re not special in getting to have regrets, you know.”

“Yeah!” Luffy said, and for one ridiculous moment Ace thought that he was going to declare that his regret was he hadn’t eaten enough meat. “I regret not being strong enough back then,” he said, though his eyes twinkled with mischief. And why shouldn’t they? Their regrets didn’t matter anymore. Ace was back now, he was here and whole (well physically, there was still so much Ace couldn’t take inside his head right now) and loved.

“You should meet my nakama,” Luffy said brightly, and Ace felt a stir of anxiety rise in him. He’d met almost all of Luffy’s crewmates before, but there were some he didn’t know of, only seen pictures in newspapers. He’d been captured before he’d known of them in real-time, and he’d not even received a drip of information in Impel Down.

“Yeah,” Ace said, feeling more comfortable with himself than he had since he’d lain on the grass by his gravesite. “I’d like that,” he said, wrapping one arm around each brother and pulling them close.

For now, he was good.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to [lunarshores](lunarshores.tumblr.com) for betaing! This chapter is a little shorter than usual as it's more of a transitional chapter. The next one will hopefully be longer than usual to balance this out!

Zō wasn’t far away, by Ace’s reckoning (the elephant had a specific migration route believe it or not, and the Whitebeard pirates had been sure to drill all of the little intricacies of the New World into Ace as soon as they could), and he knew his time with Luffy had to end when they got to Zō. Though Ace would have loved to continue on, he knew that he needed to find his own family and face the consequences of what he’d done.

That didn’t mean he had to leave right away, though, and Ace settled in quite comfortably, though the boat they were travelling on was a little eccentric, to say the least. Ace wasn’t quite sure why Bartolomeo held such an odd fascination for Luffy and his crew, and if he was honest, he’d started to avoid Bartolomeo after their first encounter when he’d dropped to his knees sobbing and trying to scrabble at Ace’s knees.

There were always weird ones, Ace supposed.

For now, Ace sat on a bench in the kitchen, a kitchen strangely reminiscent of the ship Luffy had sailed on back in Alabasta. This Bartolomeo really had done his research.

“So then, Luffy starts trying to destroy the ship itself,” Usopp said animatedly, pushing his arms out as if he was punching something. Ace moved forwards slightly, nodding as the tale continued, filling the gap from when Ace had died to now. Luffy had caused a storm on Fishman Island, and things had only gotten better from there.

Sometimes it really hit Ace how amazing Luffy was, and how far he had come. He listened, captivated, as Luffy’s crew unwound the story of their travels, emotion building up in his chest.

“I’m just going to get some air,” Ace said during a pause, and Usopp nodded, smiling. He understood, Ace thought. In fact they all understood, something he was eternally grateful for.

Luffy and Sabo were somewhere, and Ace had every intention of finding them for a while. There was someone else outside, someone Ace had only heard briefly of before he’d died. Trafalgar Law was someone Luffy trusted, so he had to be a good man, but Ace still felt a wall between them, and he knew it was all of his own making.

Moving over to the side of the boat to join Law, Ace looked out at the ocean, letting himself relax as the comforting sound of waves and wind rolled over him. Law didn’t react, but Ace knew he’d registered his approach from the tense line of his shoulders.

“You saved Luffy back at… well,” Ace said awkwardly. He didn’t want to think about Marineford, but there were so many people he had to thank. Law was extremely high on the list, and Ace didn’t want to think about what might have happened if Law hadn’t been there.

“Thank you,” Ace said quietly, and Law turned to him, shaking his head.

“You don’t need to thank me,” Law said, and Ace nodded slowly. He swallowed, recognising that Law had lost someone close to him, and nodded again.

“Still, thank you. I don’t know what I would have done if I’d lost him,” Ace admitted, and it was okay to admit that now. Ace had done everything he could to stop Akainu, and it had worked. He hadn’t lost Luffy, not back then and not now.

“He loves you a lot,” was the reply, and Ace smiled to himself.

“Luffy has a lot of love to give. He’ll do anything to protect the ones he considers his,” Ace said, and Law gave a slight huff of laughter. It was clear Luffy had already gone above and beyond any sort of alliance Law had thought he could make, and Ace grinned.

“You saw what he did at Marineford,” Ace said, and he blinked. It hadn’t hurt to say the word, the place, and he set a hand on the railing of the boat, his hands shaking. Law remained silent, though he had to have noticed Ace’s change.

“I died at Marineford,” Ace said slowly, and he saw Law nod out of the corner of his eye. The words felt good, strangely, and the vindication helped a lot. It was as if Ace was letting go of a heavy pillar, something that had been weighing him down for years. He felt as if he could breathe a little easier, relax some of the tension he’d been holding, and he gave an honest smile.

There was nothing more he needed to say to Law, so Ace left him to his thoughts and the sea. He was on his own journey, one Ace had nothing to do with, and he moved towards the end of the boat, excitement bubbling in his stomach at seeing Luffy and Sabo again, even if they’d only parted about half an hour ago.

It was almost unbelievable that they were all here. The ocean was so vast, and they had all been through so much, but he was here with his brothers. It almost made Ace want to break down crying in happiness, but he knew once he started, none of them would stop, and there was too much he needed to tell them, too much he had to do before they parted.

“I never really thought about it,” Luffy said as he walked beside Sabo, the pair coming from the direction of the communication room. “I don’t care if he’s supposed to be my dad.”

Sabo rolled his eyes dramatically, his expression breaking into a smile when he met Ace’s gaze.

“Ace!” Luffy shouted, bounding over to Ace’s side, grinning widely.

Ace was suddenly taken back to an evening when they’d been children. Designated guard duty, Ace had remained around their small house while Sabo and Luffy went hunting. It had been a long time coming, but they’d made the executive decision that Luffy could never be unsupervised, and Ace had remembered sitting in their tree house, listening to the rustle of leaves as the wind blew through the trees. He remembered wondering what his brothers would bring back, and he’d jumped to the window then Luffy had called out.

“I did it!” he’d shouted, announcing to the world that he’d managed to bring back something by himself. Ace had looked down to see a small deer, enough just for them no doubt, but nothing on their usual catches. Luffy had looked so proud, though, and Sabo had just grinned up at him. They’d feasted amazingly that night, Luffy’s laugh echoing around the jungle.

He could remember feeling so loved that night, his brothers surrounding him, and it was a feeling Ace was experiencing now. He wrapped an arm around Luffy, pulling him over to Sabo, and they ended up in a huddle, reminding each other that they were all there and completely whole.

“I managed to get through to Dragon-san,” Sabo said when they parted. His boat had faithfully been following behind for the past few days, and Ace knew what he was going to say next. “I’m needed back at headquarters.”

It was expected, of course, but Ace couldn’t help a little part of himself that wanted to stop Sabo from ever leaving. They could form the crew they’d wanted when they were younger, argue over who got to be captain and live together.

Except that was something ridiculous, really. Ace had spent too long at sea with others to join Luffy’s adventure, and Sabo was firmly fighting for what he had believed in for even longer. Ace couldn’t join Luffy any more than Sabo could, but that didn’t mean their parting needed to be sad.

“Let’s celebrate!” Luffy shouted, throwing his arms up. The crew came alive, the kitchen working on a feast, and Ace let himself be smothered in the atmosphere. Even Law seemed to be enjoying himself, tucked away in the corner with alcohol and food.

“I have so much to thank you for,” Ace said as the sun began to set. Sabo was sitting next to him, halfway through a giant steak, and he swallowed thickly before speaking.

“No you don’t, and you know it,” he retorted, and Ace shrugged. “I actually wanted to give you something,” Sabo continued, digging into his pockets and taking out a pen and piece of paper.

“A vivre-card?” Ace asked, watching as Sabo tore a piece off, signing a large ‘S’ across it.

“If you ever need me, you can use this. I gave Luffy one too, so make sure you get some of his before you leave,” Sabo said, tearing another bite of steak off and sighing contentedly. “I’ll admit one thing about the revolutionaries – no one’s as good as cooking steak as whoever cooked this.”

There was a cheer, and Ace looked over to see Luffy dancing with Usopp, a crowd of adoring pirates swooning as they put on a show.

“I wouldn’t put it past them to stalk Sanji, Luffy’s cook,” Ace said, and Sabo hummed thoughtfully, raising an eyebrow.

“They’re certainly interesting,” he allowed himself to say, and they both laughed, shaking their heads. Luffy did have a tendency to collect the strange ones.

“When will you go back to your crew?” Sabo said, and Ace glanced at him, looking down at his empty plate after. This wasn’t something he particularly wanted to discuss, but he knew he needed to. This was his future, his family, and Ace needed to talk about it.

“They miss you,” Sabo said, and Ace shrugged. Did they really? How could they when all Ace had done was take their father from them. Ace had wreaked havoc on the Whitebeard pirates, perhaps as much as Teach had.

“Marco the Phoenix is their captain now, and while they’ve lost a lot of territory, he’s still one of the strongest men on the Grand Line. They still carry a lot of weight, and Marco’s name is enough to scare the government with just a whisper.” Sabo smiled, and perhaps he thought that would reassure Ace. It did a little, for though he’d read Marco’s name in the papers, it was nothing to hearing in person that Marco was still alive, but Ace also felt his uncertainty build.

“I know I need to face them,” Ace began, licking his lips and trying to find the right words. He doubted there were any right words, truthfully. “And I know they will still love me, but I can’t shake the feeling that they’ll reject me.”

“What happened wasn’t your fault,” Sabo said, and Ace nodded. “But I understand why you’d feel that way. Before you go, spend more time with Luffy. He has a strange way of helping people understand their problems,” he finished. It was true, though whether Luffy was aware of it or not was another thing.

The evening passed by pleasantly, and for once, Ace didn’t think at all about what had happened to him or his future. He enjoyed being surrounded by his family, enjoyed the atmosphere here, and Ace knew it was important to take things as they came.

“You need to go home,” Luffy said quietly. Most of the others were asleep on the deck or on watch, but Luffy had come to join Ace at the head of the ship, sitting watching the waves. They’d been there for a while already, leaning against each other as they looked out across the world, and Ace wasn’t surprised Luffy broke the silence.

“I can’t believe you’re the same bratty kid who chased me around,” Ace said, resting his head against Luffy’s. He heard Luffy give a small laugh, felt his grin, and Ace closed his eyes.

“I’m glad you have people who love you,” Ace said, and he felt Luffy nod. His crew were amazing, and while Ace still had to meet some of them, their loyalty to each other rivalled his own crew’s. Luffy was lucky, Ace thought, and had done so well.

“You do too,” Luffy said, fingers tapping the back of Ace’s arm. It was an echo of the conversation he’d had with Sabo, and Ace sighed, opening his eyes and looking up. He had never realised how much he’d missed the stars before, and his chest felt lighter as he looked at them.

“I have a scar, you know,” Ace said suddenly, bravery filling him. “On my back and my chest, where he…” Ace felt Luffy’s hand tighten around his arm, and if the words hadn’t failed him anyway, Ace would have stopped.

“Does it hurt?” Luffy ventured, grip relaxing slightly.

“I don’t think so,” Ace replied, knowing that most of the pain he felt from the wound was in his head. “Sometimes it feels hot, as if it’s just happened…” Ace sniffed, a low hum escaping him.

“I don’t know what I’ll do if I see him again,” Ace said, voice low. It was something that had been playing in the back of his mind, something he still had yet to fully process, but something about being with Luffy helped clear his mind, took some of the pain and confusion away.

“I’ll beat them all up,” Luffy said, with such conviction that Ace really believed he would.

“Maybe I’ll get there first,” Ace replied, and he laughed as Luffy bumped against him a few times, as if attempting to push Ace off of the ship.

“Having fun without me?” someone said as they approached from behind, wrapping an arm around Ace and Luffy each. Sabo towered over them, standing while they were seated, and Ace looked back until he could see him, grinning.

“Koala has the ship ready for me to get across to,” Sabo said, and there was a touch of hesitance in his tone. Ace knew that if he asked, Sabo would drop everything to stay. Not that he wanted that in the first place, but Ace would never do such a thing, knowing how important it was to live your own life.

“I’m going to miss you,” Sabo said, hugging Ace and Luffy tightly. Ace felt tears prick at his eyes and did nothing to stop them. There was no stopping them anyway, not with Luffy blubbing away already too.

He moved away, and they let him go with waves and smile, tears drying as Sabo hopped down onto his boat. Koala and Hack were there too, and there was a moment where no one moved. Ace held his breath, Sabo waving as his boat began to move back, and then Luffy was laughing, calling out that they’d see him soon.

Not once did Sabo turn around, but he stood waving to them until he was too far away to see. Even then Ace bet he wouldn’t turn away, wanting to hold them in his memory for as long as he could. Ace knew that much because he knew he’d do the same.

They remained until Sabo’s ship had disappeared, calm and quiet in the sea breeze. There was no sting of loss or upset, they all knew they would be reunited one day. Ace smiled, throwing an arm around Luffy’s shoulders, and then Luffy was off, calling out that he needed more meat.

Some things never changed, no matter how much time had passed and what storms they weathered.

.

It had taken a while, but the Whitebeard Pirate navigators had finally plotted out a route to where they believed Ace would be. It had taken Marco every inch of willpower he possessed not to transform and fly out by himself, but he’d managed it somehow. He had an entire crew to think about, after all, and Marco couldn’t afford to be selfish.

“How do you think he’ll be?” Jozu asked from Marco’s side, surly expression on his face. His eyes showed his worry, though, and Marco turned his back on the sea, turning to face Jozu.

“He’ll be there, and that’s all we can ask for. If he wants to stay with Straw Hat then, well...” Marco bit the inside of his cheek, crushing down the anxiety that rose with that thought. He would be devastated if Ace didn’t want to come home, but he’d understand.

Their course was smooth. The few ships they did see made moves to get out of the way, and Marco nodded in satisfaction. They didn’t have any time to waste if they wanted to catch up with Ace, and he hoped they could reach him before he got to Zō.

When the call came, Marco felt excitement bubble in his stomach. Blue flames crept across the back his hands, Marco’s emotions so strong that his grip on physical form faded ever so slightly, and he waved the flames away. Now was not the time to lose himself, he needed to get them to Ace first.

“Put everything we have into intercepting that ship,” Marco commanded, and his men cheered, moving to unfurl the sails. The wind was in their favour, and Marco delegated navigation to the team, moving towards the head of the ship. He was joined by Jozu – his almost constant companion – and Vista, as well as a few members of Ace’s division.

The ship wasn’t far off now, and Marco could make out figures on board, signalling they were preparing to receive the Whitebeard Pirates’’ ship. Marco couldn’t help but smile, leaning forward as if the tiny amount of space would make all the difference. He had no idea which of the figures was Ace, but the prospect that he was there, somewhere before them, was incredible, and Marco felt excitement build up inside of him, anticipation climbing higher with every push of the waves they made.

It was almost time, Marco thought, and he couldn’t wait to see Ace once more.

.

When the call came, Ace could hardly believe he’d heard it correctly. To be fair, the lookout who had shouted out sounded as if they were about to piss their pants, but everyone had run to the side of the ship anyway, exclamations breaking out as everyone realised the Whitebeard Pirates _really were right there!_ Ace pushed past some people to get to the side, stomach dropping as he saw one of the mini-Moby’s, tearing through the waves as beautiful as he remembered.

Ace moved quickly back inside, sitting down with wide eyes. Although he’d seen it with his own eyes, it was almost too much to believe that his family were here. He almost didn’t want to believe it. He wasn’t ready to see them, hadn’t recovered properly and-

A glass of water was set down in front of him, and Ace was torn from his panic by Robin smiling down at him. Ace had heard all about her, but she was very different from how he’d imagined. She was softer, more understanding than anything the papers had ever come up with about her, and she knew what people needed.

“We’re preparing to receive them,” Robin said calmly, sitting beside Ace on the bench. “Franky’s already had to stop Luffy from trying to stretch between them and us. He’s more excited than anyone I think. He knows how much it means for you to have them back.”

She was right, Ace thought, but did he deserve to go back?

“No one was born in this world to be alone,” Robin said softly, and Ace looked at her carefully. The words sounded like words that had been imparted to her, and he wondered where the person was who had told her such a thing. They had to have cared greatly for her, and the words meant a lot more with that knowledge.

“Ace!” a shout came from outside, Luffy bellowing for him. Ace downed the water and smiled, returning the smile Robin gave him as he moved, running outside.

He was ready, Ace thought, and when he saw a flicker of blue fire (just the tiniest hint, a sign he knew Marco was feeling nervous and excited), Ace felt his heart soar.

He was almost home.


	7. Chapter 7

The entire ship brimmed with excitement. Ace could hear people joking about meeting the Whitebeard Pirates, awe and intrigue in their voices. And why shouldn’t they react that way? The Whitebeard Pirates were living legends, with or without Whitebeard. They were so carefree though, and Ace had snuck back into the kitchen with growing irritation, huddling in a corner and drawing his knees up to his chest.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to see Marco or any of the others. His heart soared at the thought of seeing his division and companions, but it also hurt to think of them. Ace had left them on a whim, ignored his captain’s orders, ended up captured, caused an all-out-war where their captain had been killed and then…

Ace took a shaky breath. He’d abandoned them. Sure he could argue his death was hardly avoidable and not his own fault, but the truth was Ace still felt it was his fault. He’d died, leaving them for years, and there was no way someone like him deserved to walk back home simply. He’d caused so much suffering, so much anguish, and there was no way Ace could fit back into the life he had before.

He knew he didn’t exactly have a choice how he was welcomed home; Ace wasn’t so naïve to think he could control that. They would shower him with love, Ace knew, because that was simply how the Whitebeard Pirates did things. They would forgive him (or rather, tell him there was nothing that needed forgiving), and life would move on. It would be wonderful, but it wasn’t what Ace deserved.

There was a moment of silence, and then the entire boat rocked, and Ace knew a platform had been bridged between the two ships. He let his knees slide to the floor, heart racing as he looked towards the door, breath coming quickly. There was nothing Ace could do to stop it, and he sat there in panic, slowly losing himself to chaos. The image of fire blazed in his mind, and Ace could feel himself burning up, insides charring as Akainu hovered behind him and-

“Ace!” Luffy called, barrelling through the door. He slammed it behind him, the noise jarring Ace, and whatever Luffy had been about to say died as he hurried over, couching before Ace.

“Do you want me to tell them to wait?” Luffy asked, voice low and full of concern. His fingers brushed Ace’s shoulder gently, and Ace felt himself calm, Luffy’s wide eyes and gentle expression reminding him that they had lived, that he could do this and be okay.

“I’m fine,” Ace said, moving to push himself up. He brushed himself down, holding a hand out to pull Luffy up. Luffy grinned, bouncing upwards, and Ace felt the chaos fade completely. He exhaled slowly, clapping Luffy on the back.

“It’s been too long since I saw them,” he said with a smile, and the darkness inside of him receded. Ace felt anticipation bubble in him, and whatever he deserved, whatever would happen, he wanted to see his family.

The outside had returned to its commotion, and Ace paused by the door. Luffy was a step behind, a reminder that he could do this, and Ace opened the door, stepping out slowly.

Nothing really changed. Ace had almost been expecting the entire ship to fall silent, but no one paid mind to them. Conversation kept flowing, cheers kept ringing out, and Ace could hear many of the crew around calling out how much they respected the Whitebeard Pirates.

“They know how much this means,” Luffy said quietly, voice pensive as he smiled, waving as they walked forwards. “And they respect that.”

Ace pressed his lips tightly together, boots heavy on the wooden floor. He was wearing shorts and a t-shirt, something that had long sleeves and covered his entire torso. It would probably be the most they’d seen him wear outside of the winter season – and even then it was hard to get Ace into proper clothes under a coat. He wondered if anyone would notice the change and knew they would. And they’d know the reason why.

There was a small semi-circle of people gathered by the platform between the boats, and the people parted to reveal a lone figure by the platform. His hand was on his hip, and he stood casually, smiling as he listened to someone by his side. He looked remarkably the same, open shirt and ¾ length trousers, though his sash was framed with gold now and there was an extra accessory hanging from his hip, a string of red beads Ace remembered very well.

Ace hadn’t wanted to cry, but he stood there, eyes fixed on the beads at Marco’s hip, and his eyes filled with tears. He clamped his bottom lip between his teeth, but it wasn’t enough, and Ace felt warm tears roll down his cheeks. He tried to wipe them, but it was a futile effort for they were just replaced, his cheeks stained with regret, love, and relief.

He closed his eyes when he saw Marco move slightly, as if he’d only just realised Ace was there, and he heard the sounds of people moving away, leaving them to their privacy. Luffy was still at his shoulder, determination radiating from him, and Ace sniffed heavily, still trying to wipe his cheeks as his chest heaved.

“You can open your eyes,” a calm, soft voice said, and Ace shook his head, ignoring Marco’s words. He had no idea what Marco was feeling, but if it was any fraction of the mix of emotions Ace felt, he marvelled at how steady Marco had managed to keep his voice.

“Hey,” Marco said, and Ace couldn’t do it any longer. He opened his eyes, vision slightly blurred, a let out a warbled sound, throwing himself at Marco. He didn’t care anymore what would happen, he didn’t care if he was crying or laughing, didn’t care whether he deserved this or not. What he wanted was Marco and his family, the last piece of his puzzle, the last piece he needed to feel whole again.

Marco’s arms didn’t move at first. He seemed to be frozen in Ace’s embrace, hands moving slowly to grip Ace’s back (as they had so many times before). For a moment, it was as if Ace was made of glass, ready to shatter under the slightest touch Marco made, and then Marco’s head was buried against his neck, one hand cupping the back of his head and the other slipping to circle Ace’s waist. He could hear Marco crying, full, wrenching sobs, and Ace felt another wave roll through him.

He was certain they looked pathetic, but it was one of the most wonderful moments of Ace’s life.

When they parted, Luffy was smiling at them, and a huge cheer rose up from the mini-Moby. Ace laughed, wiping his eyes and standing straighter. Courage swelled within him, and he waved, moving past Marco to the side, taking in as many familiar faces as he could. It almost seemed as if the entire Whitebeard crew were pressed against the side, and Ace’s lip wobbled as he fought more tears.

“I’m never going to stop crying,” he muttered, ignoring Luffy’s gleeful cackle at his words. Luffy could laugh all he wanted, it was always going to be the truth.

“Now who’s the cry-baby,” Luffy said, cackling again as he leant over the side, waving enthusiastically.

“We…” Marco said, and Ace turned around, eyes focusing on his tattoo. “We missed you so much.”

“My brother, Sabo, he was the one who did it,” Ace said, looking down to the ground. “He figured out a trick to the devil fruits and managed to get mine. Somehow that brought me back.” He glanced at Marco, watching the breeze ripple the fabric of his shirt. There was a longing that rose in Ace’s chest, and he half-turned to look back at the rest of their crew, a little smile settling on his face.

“Luffy, I need a piece of your vivre card,” Ace said, and Luffy nodded, moving away, still grinning. Marco stepped up to take his place, and Ace inhaled deeply, not realising how much he’d missed this. However much he loved Luffy, however much he’d thought otherwise, this was where he belonged.

“We can stay longer for you if-“ Marco began, but Ace shook his head.

“Luffy has his own journey, and I have mine.” Ace nodded to himself, smiling as he saw those on board the mini-Moby celebrating already, bottles clinking and food going around. “He’s going to Zō,” Ace finished, and Marco shifted.

“Zō, eh,” he commented, humming to himself. “They need to get a move on if they want to meet her.”

It was so easy to pretend that nothing had ever happened, Ace realised. No one was pressuring him to do this or that, no one was running up to him demanding he pay for what he’d done, and no one expected him to be anything other than what he was. It was so easy to pretend the last three years hadn’t happened, and Ace was okay to let that happen for now.

“I got it!” Luffy called, feet thumping on the floor as he re-joined them. He tore two squares off, nodding to Marco as he gave him one. Marco returned the nod, and Ace watched the exchange curiously. He’d never thought about Luffy and Marco having a relationship before, but they clearly respected each other, if not already friends. War changed everyone, Ace supposed, and then looked down at the vivre card in his hands, determinedly not thinking about the war.

“We will look after him,” Marco said firmly, and Ace wanted to retort that he didn’t need looking after for a moment. He paused, though, before the words escaped his mouth, and wondered if he really did need looking after.

Ace remembered explaining it to Dadan once before, about how sometimes he had such a rage inside of him, such a desire to protect, that he was blinded. His own safety hardly mattered, and it had led him to chasing Teach, tearing Teach down as much as he could, and then dying before Luffy. He couldn’t allow his loved ones to be hurt, and perhaps Ace did need to be looked after, to think before he acted.

“Keep your head up, Straw Hat,” Marco said, taking a step back. He was moving towards the platform, Ace realised, and he tucked Luffy’s vivre card away, knowing it was time he returned home. “I’m sure we’ll meet again soon,” Marco promised, and he nodded to Ace, climbing up smoothly and crossing the platform, returning to the mini-Moby.

There was no pressure to follow Marco right away, but Ace felt his absence instantly.

“I’ll see you soon,” Ace said, and Luffy nodded, grinning widely. Ace felt tears prick his eyes as he stared at Luffy, not wanting to miss even the tiniest detail of his face by blinking. He nodded, smiling wide, and turned to follow Marco. It was time to return to his life, and he felt nothing but calm as his footsteps echoed across the wooden plank between the ships.

What seemed like hundreds of hands reached up to help Ace down, his crew and friends crying as Ace was hugged over and over. There were so many people here, so much support, and Ace laughed as much as he cried, a serene feeling settling over his shoulders.

This was where he belonged, it said. These people were the home he had settled with, made for himself. This was what he had fought for – a brother who was fighting to become the Pirate King, another brother who was fighting to change the world, and a huge crew who loved each other so much that they had become living legends.

There was a shudder, and someone asked if they were okay to sail. Everyone turned to Ace, but he simply nodded. It was time to go, time to face his final hurdles and come to terms with what had happened to him. It was time to accept and move on, no matter how horrifying that seemed.

But, for now, Ace could just bathe in the love his friends were smothering him in. There was a feast to get through, and the musicians were already tuning up to play Ace’s favourites. For now, he could just relax in the knowledge that he’d finally made it home.

.

There was a knock at the door, and Marco called for whoever it was to come in. His suspicions were proved correct when Jozu entered, stern silence filling the room. He didn’t speak until Marco sighed, set down the papers he had been going through and turned to him, the light of the lamp illuminating them just so.

“You’ve been in here ever since he came back,” Jozu observed, and Marco lowered his elbows onto his knees, resting his head in hands.

“Yes,” he replied simply, though it didn’t seem to satisfy Jozu.

“You’ve been hiding,” he persisted, and Marco let his head fall lower, running his hands over his face.

“Yes,” he admitted. There was no point in sugar coating it really-- he had been hiding from Ace. “He’s busy reacquainting himself. I have work to do. What do you want me to say?”

Jozu raised an eyebrow, and Marco sat up, moving back in his chair. He picked up the glass of rum on the table and took a deep gulp, sighing.

“I have so many thing I want to say to him. He’s not okay, even a blind man could see that.” Marco remembered the way Ace had felt in his arms, the way he had avoided his gaze, and knew that while Ace was clearly happy to be back, there was still so much they had to work through. “I don’t know if I can help him, but I can’t sit out there and pretend that everything is happy and normal.”

Jozu grunted.

“All I want to do is keep him next to me. That’s all I want. I want him to always be there, just so I know he really is here, that this isn’t just an illusion.” Marco swallowed, shaking his head as he gave a bitter laugh. “What kind of person wants to do that?”

“All of us want to do that, don’t think you’re so special, Marco,” Jozu said calmly, and Marco looked at him, tilting his head to the side. He hadn’t been thinking much of other people tonight, only of Ace and himself, and he felt a hint of shame creep up inside him. Things were so much bigger than just the two of them, of course he knew that, but his vision had narrowed to only Ace.

“I know,” Marco said, “but I’m supposed to be the captain. I’m supposed to put everyone’s needs before my own. I’m supposed to be out there pushing everything aside just for one night, and I can’t even give Ace that.”

Marco took another gulp of his drink. His head wasn’t even hazy, and he wished he’d gone heavier on the drink earlier so that he could avoid feeling anything.

“We’re sailing for one of our quiet territories,” Jozu said, and Marco nodded. They’d discussed that, knowing that they would all need some time to recover. They’d planned to go to one of the sparsely inhabited islands, not much more than a hunk of rock that was of no interest to anyone else, and it would be a perfect resting point for them.

“He’s been looking for you, you know,” Jozu said, and Marco looked at him. “I told him you were probably working. He accepted it, but… he thinks we’ll hate him. I can read that clear off of him.”

Marco’s eyes widened, and he reached for his glass again. He held it tightly in his hand, not drinking just yet. Of course he’d known how Ace would feel, it was so easy to predict, but he’d thought Ace would have this one night before anything else. He’d thought that, by removing himself, Ace could enjoy this night, relax before he thought too deeply about everything, and Marco wanted to curse himself. It hadn’t been that long since he’d understood Ace, how could he have made such a misjudgement?

“He knows you’re here is what I wanted to say. Knowing Ace, he’s working his way up to coming here. I wanted to give you a heads up to stop being so maudlin and pathetic about everything.” Jozu said it with a smirk, and Marco gave a smile. He was being pathetic, truth be told, and he was glad he had Jozu to call him on it.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Marco promised, and Jozu left without another word.

In truth, Jozu had been warning him, and Marco respected that. He’d come to warn Marco that Ace was only just coping, and that he couldn’t push things. Not that Marco would have in any sense, but Ace needed people looking out for him, and Marco was glad Jozu had come to tell him, even if it wasn’t needed. They needed to support Ace, help him get through what had happened. They’d all had three years, give or take, to accept and move on. Ace had had less than a handful of weeks, and he’d been the one to die.

It took Ace a while to come to Marco’s door, and by that time Marco had put away the paperwork and turned on the radio den den mushi, listening to some old songs on low volume. It was maudlin, as Jozu would put it, but it was something Marco had grown to enjoy. He loved to watch the sea from his window in the darkness of night, music on low to lull him into relaxation. Many times Marco had woken in an awkward position, glad that his devil fruit power eased any aches and pains gathered in the night.

Marco had just closed his eyes for a moment when he heard the door creak. For a moment, he wondered if Haruta had finished the forms he’d asked for, and then he remembered that Haruta was busy with the festivities. There was only one person it could be, and Marco watched from the corner of his eye as Ace sat on the bed on the other side of the room, lying down on his back without a word.

“Nothing feels like it’s changed,” Ace said a few minutes later. The candle on Marco’s desk flickered, the wick coming to the end of its life, but he didn’t move to light another candle. He didn’t want to break the atmosphere that had fallen over them, their situation too precarious to upset.

“It’s like I never fucked off to chase that bastard, like I never got caught, like I never fucking died, and like Oyaji…” Ace choked on his words, fist slamming down on the mattress beside him. “How can everyone be so calm about it?”

“We’re not,” Marco said bluntly, reaching into his desk cupboard and pulling another bottle of rum out. He sighed and moved over to the bed, clambering awkwardly over to Ace as he handed him the bottle he’d been using before. It still had plenty in, but a full bottle seemed a bit extreme for Ace.

“What do you mean you’re not?” Ace demanded, taking the bottle and looking up at the ceiling.

“Half of us want to keep you locked up on the ship, and the other half want to chain themselves to you so we don’t lose you.” Marco paused. “Again,” he added, and Ace’s chest heaved as he inhaled sharply.

“Everyone’s so happy,” he said quietly, and Marco shuffled until he was lying down. His fingers itched to take Ace’s hand, but the lines between them hadn’t been drawn yet. Ace wasn’t his, and he wasn’t Ace’s. He didn’t have the privilege to take Ace’s hand.

“We wanted to give you this night first,” Marco said carefully, though he felt Ace stiffen. He could imagine Ace’s panic, thinking that they were going to throw him to the sharks straight after. “We wanted you to remember what was good about being here, show you how much we love you.” He faltered on the word love and hoped Ace hadn’t noticed.

“And then?” Ace asked, sounding so, so tired.

“And then we wanted to help you. We wanted to work with you to try and understand what happened, to try and help you accept what happened and help us to support you.” Marco turned slightly, so he could look at Ace. The bottle of rum rolled off of the bed, but it was still capped anyway so Marco let it go.

“I don’t deserve this,” Ace said firmly, stare focused on the ceiling still. He was gripping the rum bottle tightly, and Marco closed his eyes, frowning. He wanted to reach out, to hold Ace how he’d held him before, reassure him that everything would be okay, but there was so much distance between them.

“Do any of us deserve any of this?” Marco said softly, and he felt Ace freeze beside him. “We’re all pirates, people who have all done terrible things. What do you think we did while you were gone? We fought and killed and destroyed is what we did. People took our land, and we killed them. We lost, we won, but we always fought. We’re not innocent, neither are you, and who’s to say who deserves what?”

Ace was silent for a long moment, his jaw working as he fought with himself. Marco let him, eyes drifting over the t-shirt Ace was wearing, knowing that there was something he was hiding from everyone under it, even himself. But that was okay – that was something time needed to cushion.

“I just want to be home,” Ace said, and one of his arms rose to his eyes, covering them as his face crumpled. “I want everything to be okay again. I want everyone to greet me normally, I want everyone to depend on me and I want…” he trailed off.

The candle finally gave in, and the room fell into complete darkness. The moon shone through the window, but it wasn’t much. Marco could see Ace’s outline in the gloom, and it had been so long since he’d seen Ace like this. Sadness and almost overwhelming relief flowed through him, and Marco clenched his fists.

“I want you to be there,” Ace said quietly, so quietly that Marco held his breath to be sure of the words. “I don’t want you to be in here by yourself. Or if you are, I want to be with you.”

Ace moved then, looking at Marco properly for the first time. He looked so different to how Marco remembered, and yet he looked exactly the same. His eyes were dark, and the light hardly helped, but there was a sparkle in Ace’s eyes, so many questions and thoughts, and Marco felt his stomach drop. This was the Ace he’d fallen in love with so many years ago, the Ace who had been his friend and lover, the Ace who had captivated their entire crew. This Ace had never gone anywhere, not really, and Marco had been a fool for thinking Ace would have returned to them changed.

“I’ve missed you so much,” Marco said, and he felt Ace’s hand stroke his cheek. It was a hesitant touch, a question more than anything, and Marco closed his eyes, taking in a shaky breath as Ace’s thumb stroked his skin.

“It feels like weeks to me,” Ace admitted quietly, and he shuffled closer. Slowly, Ace pressed their legs together, still stroking Marco’s cheek. The bottle he’d been holding was long gone, and Marco just hoped the cap had been on properly.

They fell silent, Marco trying to memorise every little detail about Ace he’d forgotten. How could he have forgotten the slight notch in one eyebrow he had, from the tiniest scar? It wasn’t even visible unless you were up close, but it was as plain as day to Marco now. And how could he have forgotten the lop-sided triangle of freckles on the side of Ace’s nose? What else had he forgotten?

Could he have forgotten everything? Three years was hardly anything compared to the rest of his life. What if he’d forgotten Ace completely?

It wasn’t enough, and Marco moved his hand slowly, grazing the underside of Ace’s arm.

“I-“ Ace said hurriedly, cutting himself off. “Not my back. Please,” he added, looking down, as if Marco would ignore him. Even without understanding why, Marco would listen to him, and he slipped his arm over Ace’s waist, keeping his hand away from Ace’s back as requested. In return, Ace let his hand fall, shuffling until he was tucked against Marco’s chest and under his chin, fingers tracing the mark on his chest.

“It’s selfish of me,” Ace said, voice slightly muffled by their positions. Marco didn’t dare move, though, wanting to hear everything Ace had to say. He never wanted to miss another word. Three years was too long to go without hearing Ace, and he never wanted to live through that again.

“I was so happy when I saw you at… that place,” Ace said, and Marco moved his head slightly, an encouraging gesture. He remembered how bold they had been bursting out of the waters at Marineford, and the honest shock on Ace’s face. It was as if he’d almost believed they would leave him to it, but they’d shown him, proved that there was nothing on the ocean that would stop them from protecting their own.

“We’d do it all over again if we had to,” Marco said firmly, and he heard Ace mumble to himself.

“I know you would, and it scares me so much.” His hand curled up against Marco’s chest, right above his heart. “I can’t stop you, I know that, but I don’t think I’m as strong as the rest of you. I don’t know if I’d be able to handle losing someone I loved.”

Marco understood. There was no need to reply, and they were silent for so long that he wondered whether Ace had fallen asleep.

“Can I hold you?” Ace asked suddenly, and Marco nodded instantly. It was never a position they’d gone for before – Ace had always laughed and said he preferred to be the one being hugged – but Marco knew that this was important. He remembered Akainu standing behind Ace and he knew there was a very real possibility Ace thought about that constantly.

“If you need anything, just wake me up. The others know you’re here so they won’t bother us. Jozu can run the ship for a morning,” Marco said, rolling over. Ace’s arms were firm as they slid around him, his head burrowing against Marco’s.

“Thank you,” Ace said softly into the darkness, and then his muscles relaxed and his breathing evened out.

It was almost unbelievable, but Marco felt a sense of comfort and incredulity as he closed his eyes. Ace was back, and while he was far from healed, together they would make small steps towards their future. And even if Ace could never fully face what had happened to him, Marco would always, always be there for him.

Three years was nothing compared to the lifetime they had ahead of them, after all.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you as ever to [lunarshores](http://lunarshores.tumblr.com/) for betaing! Without her this really would be nothing so thank you!! And to [lolle](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Lolle/pseuds/Lolle) who spurred me into getting on with this chapter - thank you!
> 
> Apologies for the delay to the rest of you - I'm tentatively going to say I'll be continuing this through until it's finished before all other projects so... if all goes to plan I'll be updating much quicker than this one! Thank you for your patience and I hope this doesn't disappoint.

In the morning, Marco left Ace sleeping. The blankets were tangled around his ankles, hair scruffed up as if he’d been jumping around in his sleep (he’d slept like a deadweight, Marco knew that for sure), and he was snoring, but it was the best sight Marco could have woken up to. He smiled as he left the bed, changing clothes and ignoring the slight smell clinging to him. He had things to do, a shower had to wait.

The ship was clean, no evidence of the festivities, a typical Whitebeard pirate morning. They were all masters of drunk-cleaning; new recruits were practically force fed alcohol and given chores. Well, not literally. Okay, sometimes literally, and they were all willing participants.

Marco nodded to members of the crew as he strode to the back of the ship. He was about five metres from the railing when he began to run, heavy strides thundering across the ship, and then he was jumping, shifting, and shaking out his bird form. He circled the boat once, judging the direction of the wind and scanning the horizon, and then Marco was off.

A mini Moby sat snugly in the crook of an island harbour. It was the bleak place they were headed to, and Marco needed to talk to the crew there before Ace arrived. They all greeted Marco with stern nods, Izo watching cautiously. Marco didn’t blame them – this was the first time they’d had contact in months, years. Marco had been unable to stop everyone drifting, and his calls and letters may have been received, but not everyone could make it so quickly. Izo and his lot had been close, the others not so much. They’d make it though, Marco knew, and then they’d be whole again.

“Taichō,” Izo greeted, voice warm. He stood sternly, and Marco shook the last of his blue flames from himself, holding out a hand. Izo’s eyes drifted down towards his hand and then back up, eyes shining with unshed tears.

They had fought, and they had parted, even if it had been amicably. They had travelled their own way for a long time, but now they could be whole again, could finally patch the hole Marineford and Teach had left. They wouldn’t need to lick their wounds and hide from Blackbeard’s overwhelming win against them anymore. They had Ace back, and Marco wanted to do right by his crew.

Izo took his hand and squeezed it, laughter echoing around them as the crew joined together, watching the fissure between them all heal. Marco had forgiven them for leaving, and they’d forgiven him in turn.

He spoke briefly, eating breakfast with the rest of them. They swapped some stories, Marco smiled more than he had in months, and then they set down to business.

“Ace will be here later today,” Marco said, and it seemed as if the entire island grew silent. He’d already told them that Ace was back and coming, of course, but physically hearing it from someone before you was another matter. “He needs time, but he is back with us.”

Izo nodded, eyes casting over the sea. Marco should be leaving now, and he stood up.

“We’ll see you soon then, Taichō,” Izo said, and Marco nodded. It was useless to ask him not to refer to him as captain.

He’d tried so hard to stop everyone referring to him as captain after Marineford, and Marco thought it was definitely one of the reason he wanted to go against Teach so much on his own. He hadn’t been alone in the end, of course he hadn’t, but there had been just him and Blackbeard, the two of them facing each other, the earth crackling and buckling as Blackbeard had laughed.

“See my power?” he’d roared, and Marco had fallen for his anger. He’d let it consume him, let it overwhelm him like the darkness inside of Blackbeard, and he’d almost failed them all.

He’d survived. They all had. And now so had Ace.

Marco flew back to his Moby, nodding to the crew on deck. They gave him a quick update, handed him a newspaper, and then he was off, heading back into the cool air of the inside. Ace was still asleep, still snoring, and he’d migrated to the centre of the bed. For a moment, Marco wanted to join him, and he looked down with a sigh, a fond feeling creeping through him.

He knew he still needed to process the fact Ace was here, and Marco had no idea if that was something he would ever get over. It was so easy to lose someone and always think of them as lost. But here Ace was, complete and sleeping safely, as if those years had never happened.

Ace shifted, quieting down. He was rolled onto his back now, and Marco watched cautiously as Ace’s eyes snapped open, and he sat up, tense and panicked.

“Eggs,” Ace said as soon as he caught Marco’s eyes. He released a tense breath, unclenching his jaw with some effort, and attempted a smile. His shoulders dropped slightly, as if he was trying to let go of whatever had startled him, and it looked like a monumental effort, one for which Marco was proud of Ace.

“For breakfast?” Marco replied, sitting down at his desk and arching his back. Ace nodded slowly.

“Yeah,” he added, lying back down, on his side. “Are you going to breakfast now?” he asked, and Marco looked over, shaking his head and standing as soon as he caught Ace’s eye.

He was being invited, and there was no way Marco was going to turn such an invitation down. He barely remembered to take his shoes off before climbing under the covers, hands cool as they brushed Ace’s arm.

“Hey,” Ace said, and he shuffled closer, placing Marco’s arm over his waist. He didn’t move for a moment, searching Ace’s eyes to check that is was okay, and then he was curving his arm, enough for him to hold Ace close.

“You’re the captain now?” Ace asked quietly. Marco hadn’t been expecting the question, but he barely reacted. He’d stopped reacting to being the captain long ago.

“I am,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve been a very good one, but I’d like to try properly now.”

Ace was silent.

“I let things fall apart,” Marco admitted, and this was something he’d barely allowed skim the back of his mind. “I let us all go our separate ways. Some went to train, others went to protect, and I…”

Marco closed his eyes. He remembered the years between, and he began to tell Ace everything that had happened, how they’d fought Blackbeard and how Marco had let them drift.

“The crew knew where I was, after that. They came to me with a paper, got down on their knees in the tide and begged me to take them there. It wasn’t unusual for them to visit, everyone checked in at least once while I was there, but this was different.” Marco remembered watching his crew, tears falling down a few of their faces, as they’d pleaded for him to see sense and return to them. Surely he was strong enough now, though many had said he had been, regardless of their defeat. They’d never been conquered – one defeat was nothing to them – and it was Marco’s turn to bring them back once more.

“We were heading to Dressrosa before we received a letter. Whether you are aware of it or not, because of you, I have the strength to bring us all back together. Because of you, the Whitebeard pirates will be stronger.” Marco opened his eyes, smiling as he saw Ace staring at him.

“You’ve got some wrinkles, old man,” he commented, and Marco laughed. It felt so good, and he rolled onto his back, keeping his head turned so he didn’t have to look away from Ace.

“Death seems to be a great anti-ageing treatment,” Marco retorted, and there was a split second where he wondered if he’d gone too far. Had he irritated a wound that was barely scabbed over?

And then Ace laughed, copying Marco and rolling onto his back. They both laughed together, the sound echoing out of the open window and out to sea, and Marco hoped the world could hear them. He wanted the world to know that Ace was here, Ace was getting through his issues and what had happened, and he was happy, and he hoped the sea breeze would be kind to his wishes.

“I want to get better,” Ace said simply then, voice light. His body was tense again, but he was holding firm, refusing to move from lying down.

“Ace,” Marco began, and Ace looked at him, eyes wide. “I understand you want to get better, but getting better and forcing yourself are two different things.”

Ace nodded. He stayed still, and Marco sat up.

“Tell me to stop and I will,” he said, throwing one leg over Ace’s waist. He was a little too close to the side for comfort, so if he placed too much weight on his right leg then they’d both be falling off the edge, but Marco could make this work. Ace’s eyes were wide still, searching Marco’s face, as if he could find the answers to all of his problems

Marco sat back on Ace’s thighs, linking his right hand with Ace’s, his other coming down to support him by Ace’s shoulder. He leant down, pressing the lightest kiss to Ace’s clothed shoulder, pulling back to check Ace’s reaction before he kissed the other.

He looked a little calmer, more focused on what Marco was up to rather than the fact something was against his scar. Marco carried on then, kissing as high up on Ace’s head as he could get, and then the tip of his nose. That drew a smile from Ace, and his free hand came up to graze Marco’s cheek, knuckles smooth against stubble.

“It’s been ages since we did this,” he said quietly, and Marco knew that while he did mean the years they’d spent apart, Ace also meant when they were alive. How long had it been since they’d been like this, before Ace’s death?

“Too long,” Marco admitted, and he felt tears spring to his eyes, ridiculously. Why was he crying now, of all times?

“Hey, hey,” Ace said softly, and there wasn’t a moment’s hesitation before he pulled Marco down, arms wrapping around him tightly. The weight had to be pressing against Ace’s back even more, but he didn’t waver, simply held Marco as he clutched at Ace’s arms, the bed, his hair, anything and everything.

He settled a while later, his sobs finally giving way to peaceful calm. Ace was stroking his back slowly, whispering in his ear, and Marco wondered how things had turned on their head like this. He was supposed to be helping Ace, not the other way around.

Though, perhaps those things weren’t exclusive. Perhaps they could help each other at the same time.

“It’s an ugly scar,” Ace said softly, still stroking Marco’s back. Marco’s head was tucked against Ace’s neck, and he shifted slightly, just so he could look up at Ace’s jaw. As he spoke, his voice reverberated through Marco’s body, and he felt warmth spread through him alongside comfort. This was where he was meant to be, who was supposed to be by his side.

“He burnt right through me. I have a scar on the back and on the front.” Ace’s voice was clipped now, short bursts in case he couldn’t say it all. “I can still feel it sometimes. Him,” Ace clarified, and Marco felt his chest tighten. He quietened after that, and Marco takes the opportunity to sit up and look down.

“No matter what happened, I still love you,” he said. It took all of three seconds for Ace’s eyes to well up with tears, and Marco was off again too, back against the crook of Ace’s neck as they both lay there and cried.

It was good, though. They’d both been stifled, emotionally blocked, and if they had to cry one thousand times, it couldn’t be a bad thing. There was so much pain they needed to get through, but they could do it together.

“You haven’t even seen the scars yet,” Ace said as he regained control of his breathing. His arms were wound tightly around Marco’s back, so he could barely move up, and his voice was still higher than it should be.

“I don’t need to,” Marco replied, kissing the side of Ace’s neck. “I don’t care if you have two or two hundred scars. I don’t care if you have a tree or something sticking out of you, or if you grew two heads or-“

Marco broke off as Ace gave a weak laugh. He propped himself up over Ace, kissing his cheek.

“The love I have for you is the forever kind, I’m afraid. And it’s okay if you’re not ready to feel that yet – or ever. I just need you to know how I feel, okay?” Ace didn’t nod. “I don’t care what happened. I mean I do, but it’s not going to change how I love you.”

Ace nodded that time, and Marco searched his eyes for a moment, lowering himself until his lips were just touching Ace’s.

“I love you Ace,” he said softly, and then he caught Ace’s lips in a slow kiss, something gentle to remind him of how much he was loved. If words couldn’t work, then Marco would have to show him, and they were both better when the words were stripped down to actions and honesty.

Ace’s hands caught the fabric of Marco’s shirt, raking against his shoulder blades. He was smiling as they kissed, hands slipping up to tug at Marco’s hair, smoothing against skin and holding him tight.

They broke apart slowly, resting their foreheads against one another. Ace’s hands were cupping Marco’s head, and he let him go slowly, smiling as Marco rolled off to the side. He’d done as much as he could today, let Ace know he still loved him and shown it. They’d take things slow together. Just having Ace here was enough.

“So about those eggs you promised,” Ace said, sitting up and raising an eyebrow.

“About those eggs,” Marco replied, nodding and standing. They needed clothes first, and maybe Marco could finally have that shower. He glanced Ace’s way and shrugged. Maybe not. Now that Ace was up, he wanted to spend as much time as he could with him, even if that meant forgoing bathing rituals. It wouldn’t do him any harm anyway.

“Do you have some clothes?” Ace asked. “I have a few but… I wanted something…”

Marco smiled, understanding instantly. He moved to the cupboard, digging through various shirts until he found a purple one. It was one of his favourites, and he threw it onto the bed. It had also been one of Ace’s favourites, and Marco watched him smile as he realised what shirt it was.

“Thanks,” he said, as Marco threw a pair of shorts on the bed, a pair that Ace had forced him to buy and he’d never worn.

“We have your stuff stored still,” Marco commented, making a mental note to visit their storage island. It was where they’d left some of their personal possessions from the Moby Dick before Marineford, all expecting the ship to take damage. They’d never expected her to be destroyed entirely, and the planning had been well received for them all. They hadn’t needed to rebuild everything from scratch, at least.

“That would be great,” Ace said, and Marco knew how hard it was to have hardly any possessions for familiarity. It had been that way for all of them, and the sooner they could give Ace his belongings back, the better.

“But first eggs, and then we’re meeting up with more of the family,” Marco said, and Ace brightened.

Seeing him here, so happy and alive, made the lonely years worth it. They weren’t okay, not by a long shot, but there was hope, and it was more than the hope Marco had been nursing alone

.

The eggs were really good, Ace thought, devouring his third plate. He was surrounded by crewmembers, all joking that Marco would never cook them eggs, and Ace was ridiculously lucky. Of course there was a twinkle in all of their eyes, and they all laughed when Ace suggested they give Marco a blowjob and they’d get their own eggs. He didn’t mean it, of course. Not that blowjobs hadn’t earnt him eggs in the past, but there was more to them than blowjobs.

Which everyone knew, of course. It was still hard to remember that on top of everything else Ace had to remember. Such as he’d been gone for over two years and so much had changed.

He’d been shocked to learn that the crew had drifted and split, but not surprised. Grief did things to people, and they’d all been hurting so much. Ace had left before that because of grief, so he knew exactly how that felt.

And they’d all come back together anyway or were in the process of returning. Despite his insecurities, Marco was an amazing captain. He’d ruled his own division with ease that Ace had envied, but he was more than that. Marco was respected, loved and had been under Whitebeard longer than any of them. He’d always been by Whitebeard’s side, listening, watching, learning, and it was simply natural he step up to control what had been left to him.

Ace looked down at the remains of his eggs guiltily. It had been his fault Marco had had to take that role on. Everything came back to being his fault in the end, really.

“So then what happens is,” someone said, bringing Ace back to the table. He gave a weak smile, scarfed the remainder of his eggs and then pretended he needed the bathroom, shooting everyone an apologetic look. They let him go - everyone was still slightly on eggshells, as if they thought the miracle of Ace being back had an expiry date.

He didn’t need the toilet, and instead wandered around the edge of the ship, glancing out to sea. He could see an island before them, where they’ll rest up for a while, reconnect with other forks of the Whitebeard pirates and let him come to terms with who he is. It seemed like such a huge task, to find out who he is, and Ace didn’t know if he was up to the task.

He sighed, setting his arms on the railing as he stared out to sea. It was so vast, and yet so small at the same time. So much had happened. He had no idea what things would have been like if he’d lived back in Marineford, and it was something Ace never wanted to think about. Too much pain, too much regret, no man could deal with that.

He felt a spark of fire in his chest and shook his head. Not time for that now, he thought.

There were plenty of jobs to do, and while everyone tried to refuse him at first, they eventually gave in and let Ace help. They needed the help, anyway, and Ace needed something to do. Marco passed him twice, once marching along as if he’d lost something, and he’d stopped, raised an eyebrow as Ace was helping to patch up some holes in their sails, and continued on smiling. The second time he’d been followed by a group, all holding stacks of papers, and Ace couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled from him as Marco shot him a pleading look.

It was nice to be given space. While part of Ace wanted to spend every waking moment glued to Marco’s side, he knew that wasn’t healthy and knew it wasn’t what he needed. He couldn’t grow too dependent on Marco; that wouldn’t be fair to either of them. And Ace wanted to live, this time. He wanted to live and do things and become himself again. Marineford had taken so much away from him, and Ace was determined to take it back.

Again, there was a spark inside of him, and Ace gritted his teeth, willing it away. He turned back to the group fixing the last patch and nodded, celebrating with the others who were finished. It was a job well done, and then there was the call that land was ahead. The non-devil-fruit-users lined up, ready to scale down and help secure the ship, get the rowing boats out, and Ace watched as the entire crew moved as one.

“The boats of supplies are already loaded up,” a low voice said, and Ace turned as Jozu walked up beside him, the boards rocking underfoot with his footsteps. He gave Ace a rare, wry smile, before looking down at the progress below them.

“It feels normal,” Ace commented casually, not expecting an answer. Jozu kept silent, as he usually did.

“Is it weird that it feels normal?” he asked, and Jozu shifted.

“In the end, things never really change that much,” Jozu offered. “On a personal level everything changes, but when you have so many people, there are things to do, boxes to check and things to fill in. Everyone has their place, and the easiest thing for most people is to take your place and get on with things.”

That was understandable, of course, and something Ace recognised within himself. All he wanted to do was go back to his place and fit in, but he was still lost. His place needed to be redefined, and all he could do was stand on the edge, toes hanging over.

“There will be ups and downs, you know that though,” Jozu said. Ace waited for him to continue, sensing the words in the air between them. “Whatever you feel though, that’s okay.”

Jozu was steady as always, just like the sea on a calm night. He was right; Ace didn’t need to pretend he was okay. He didn’t need to pretend that he wasn’t still trying to be okay again. He didn’t need to stop doing other things just to try and sort himself out. Humans were complicated, nothing ever came easy.

He shared a boat with Jozu, some others and large barrels of water. There were about five boats worth of water and three of alcohol, and Ace had been assured there was more booze with Izo’s lot. He’d smiled, but the reality was Ace would probably stick to water tonight. This was the kind of place he could lose control, and he couldn’t afford to use his fire tonight. His fire was a future problem to focus on, not something in the present.

The celebrations were much like the night before, though a lot more people were happy to treat Ace as an actual person, not someone who was going to vanish right before them. He made the rounds, managed to get through hugs and greetings, though there was a moment he thought he’d snap when someone brushed his back. They’d apologised quickly though, slurring their words as they fell to the ground, a woman rolling her eyes and dragging her friend away by the ankle. After that, Ace had kept to the edge of the celebrations, his back to the sea as he walked up and down, feet just skimming the foam of the incoming tide.

It was nice though. It was relaxed and there were heaps of food being spewed out from the massive fire pits someone had made. It was the best food Ace had eaten in ages, and he probably single handedly contributed to wiping out one or two species from these waters.

Marco was around, here and there. They actually managed to eat next to each other, though both had their own conversations they were involved in. Still, they ate from one plate, and both filled it with things they knew the other loved, and Ace didn’t panic when their backs brushed each other. It was a terrifying feeling in its own way, but not one that made Ace want to charge for the sea, burning up and panicking.

It happened as the night was beginning to draw to an end. A few people were sleeping, more were talking in quiet huddles. Ace had no idea where Marco was and was about to go and find him when an overwhelming panic overtook him. It was almost as if there was a presence behind him, just for a moment, Akainu just reminding him that he didn’t deserve happiness, and that was enough.

Ace could feel panic rising inside of him, his fire burning with no way to get out. He felt hot and shivery, and the voices around him sounded like they were paces away, not right beside him. The world blurred, and while he was aware of people asking if he was okay, he couldn’t pinpoint where the sound was coming from.

“The sea,” he tried to say, the words coming out as barely a gasp. Ace’s throat was bone dry, and panic took full flight as he felt sparks inside of him. His fire was going to burn and Ace had no control, wanted no control. People were going to get hurt, and Ace was going to be the cause of it.

“The sea!” he said, and this time someone seemed to understand, or maybe they saw the fire dancing across Ace’s skin, for they pushed him back. He took two steps into sand and then sank back, the smallest wave sloshing over his head. It soaked Ace’s back and drove sand down his clothing, but it was enough to cool him, to ground him.

The voices around him focused as another wave lapped over him, and Ace heard someone calling his name, apologies spilling off of their tongue.

“Ace-taichō,” one of his former division said, eyes wide and hands shaking as they offered to pull him up. Ace took it, smiling, hoping no one had realised how close to losing control he was. “I am so sorry. I forgot…”

The man looked sheepish, and Ace shrugged good naturedly, laughing it off.

“Don’t tell me you thought I’d somehow caught fire?” he said, and the man flushed. They’d spent so long without the owner of the mera mera no mi it could be used to Ace’s advantage here. His weakness wasn’t exposed, and Ace thanked the fact there had been a lot of alcohol drunk at this gathering.

His skin prickled, and not because the water covering his clothes was cooling. There was someone watching him, and Ace scanned around, wondering if his feeble excuses had held for everyone. He froze as he saw the person watching him, and Ace knew he wouldn’t be able to hide anything from Marco, especially when he was wearing a deep frown like the one he had on his face now.

So Ace did what anyone would do and turned back to the group, listening and laughing as they told jokes and traded stories. That was what tonight was all about, forgetting and catching up and moving on. His mind whirled something else, though, and a cold feeling began to settling around him, one that had nothing to do with the water against his skin.

What was Marco thinking? What did the presence mean? Was Ace destined to be haunted? Had he lost Marco? Had-

Something settled heaving against Ace’s shoulders and he jerked, eyes darting up to the person beside him. It was Marco, he realised, and Ace’s hands reached up to feel the thick fabric of a jacket around his shoulders. The gesture wasn’t lost on him, and he’d thank Marco when they were back somewhere private.

“You’ll catch a chill,” Marco said simply, and he nodded to the others, and arm around Ace’s shoulders as he steered them away. They’d already arranged to return to the ship for sleeping, like most people, though it really depended on their level of intoxication, and Marco stood at the shore, one foot stamping impatiently as he looked around.

“Fuck it,” Marco said, and instead of collecting other people to share a rowing boat with, he shifted into his phoenix form, turning to look at Ace as he lowered himself. It was a clear invitation to get on, and Ace hesitated, eyes fixed on the fire.

There was a moment before Marco understood the problem where Ace just stood there, chest tightening as he watched Marco’s flames dance over his skin. He stood there like an idiot, and then Marco was shifting back, fire vanishing as he held a human hand out.

“Alright then,” he said simply, no comment on how much Ace’s hand was shaking as he took the one Marco offered. “I’ll see if I can find anyone to come back with us if you go and find a boat?”

Ace nodded, looking away quickly. He pulled Marco’s jacket around him, slipping his arms into the sleeves as Marco let go of his hand, and he tried his hardest not to let the fire that was curling angrily inside of him free. Not yet, not now, not when-

Breathe, he thought, and it will pass.

It had to.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please go and worship @kyyhky for this [gorgeous piece of fanart oh my goodness](http://kyyhky.tumblr.com/post/149155806675/please-read-tigris-by-imperialmint-and-die-with). It is stunning, absolutely perfect, so please do yourself a favour and go look (+reblog/comment etc.) Thank you so much!!
> 
> I've had the ending scene in my head since I started so it's been amazing to finally get to that point. I hope you enjoy!

The boat ride back was a blur. Marco managed to gather a few members of the crew and shepherd them onto the boat. A bawdy song broke out as they made their way across the water, and Ace tried to lose himself in the song. His heart wasn’t in it, and by the time they reached the third verse, his hand had slipped over the side of the boat and was trailing the dark water, head light and woozy.   
  
Not once did Ace look at Marco, even when they docked at their mini-Moby and Marco asked for help getting the boat back on the ship. Ace was quiet the entire time, smiling tightly when the crew they’d come back with wandered off to bed. He tried to busy himself as best he could, but it was difficult in the dark. Especially with Marco’s eyes on him.   
  
“I’m going to bed,” Marco said softly. He sounded tired, older, and Ace looked at him, worry clawing at his stomach.   
  
He looked heavier, burdened perhaps, and older in the moonlight. Ace watched as Marco ran a hand through his hair and then started towards the cabins, pausing to press a hand to the wooden wall. No one had lit torches, it was dark, and yet Ace’s eyes picked out every detail. He could see the unasked questions on Marco’s shoulders, the task of being a proper captain around his neck, and he could see his own burden like a chain around Marco’s hands. He was going to fail if Ace stayed, he was going to ruin himself if Ace stayed, he was going to-   
  
“If you’d prefer to stay on your own tonight I can make a room up for you,” Marco said, and there was something in his voice that Ace had never heard before. “I’d very much like it if you stayed with me though, if you wanted to.”   
  
It took Ace a moment to register what was so significant, and his eyes widened, stomach dropping as realisation dawned. Marco was scared. A man who sat on top of the world, could wreak havoc and come through unscathed, a man who was the pillar of support for so many… such a man was scared? All because of Ace?   
  
Swallowing the bitterness down, Ace stepped forward. His shoulder bumped the wall in his haste, but his fingers latched onto the back of Marco’s sleeve, just as he was about to walk off. He’d made it in time, at least, before fucking something else up.   
  
“I don’t want another room,” he said in a rush, and Ace felt Marco stiffen, just for a second, before he relaxed. His shoulders slumped, and Marco’s easy, soft smile was back on his lips as he turned to Ace.   
  
“Are you sure?” he asked, and Ace nodded. He smiled, a genuine smile at that, and let his hand slip down Marco’s arm, taking his hand. Slowly, he laced their fingers together, curling his fingertips against the back of Marco’s hand, and he took a deep breath.   
  
“Whatever’s going on, I need you. I need us. Whatever… whatever happens, I want us.” Ace said the words in a rush, and he refused to look at Marco properly. He heard a soft noise though, and looked up quickly.   
  
In an instant, Ace was taken back to the moment Marco had offered him an olive branch, back to when he’d been a rude fucker with a death wish. Back to when he’d been so determined to make a name as a killer than he hadn’t seen what good he could have… back to when Marco had set down food for him (again) and smiled so openly and honestly, showing his love for his family for the world to see, right there in that smile.   
  
And here it was again, only this time just for Ace. He bit the inside of his cheek as Marco leant forward slightly, smile beginning to slip and his eyes opening, and he brought his other hand up to press against Marco’s jaw, to steady himself. He had just a tiny moment to see Marco’s eyes open fully, uncertainty flashing through him, before Ace was kissing him, pressing his body against Marco’s, enjoying the flush feeling.   
  
It took Marco all of half a second to register what was happening, and the hand that wasn’t holding Ace’s shifted to his hip, pulling Ace closer, and then Ace was completely lost. His hand moved to grip the back of Marco’s head as he kissed him, tongue smoothing past lips and curling, delighting, an almost frenzy upon him. He could taste the alcohol Marco had been drinking, smell the scent of sea salt and sweat on his skin, and Ace inhaled deeply, closing his eyes as he let Marco lead the kiss, stealing his breath away.   
  
“Marco,” Ace said gently when they parted for a moment, chest heaving, and then Marco was back again, like a wave surging the shore. It brought a smile to Ace’s lips, and their kiss peppered into smaller ones as Ace spun them around slowly, curling his leg around Marco’s.   
  
They broke apart slowly, and every time Ace thought that might be it for the moment, one of them would lean back in. It was intoxicating, something that made Ace feel truly alive again, something that was as worth living for as his family. Marco was something else entirely, and Ace felt grief bubble in his chest for the years they’d lost.   
  
“I don’t think I could ever be as strong as you,” he said instead, gritting his jaw. Ace let his head fall against Marco’s cheekbone, the two of them swaying as the mini-Moby listed to the side gently. It was almost a dance, something beautiful and slow, and Ace closed his eyes, inhaling deeply and kissing Marco’s cheek gently.   
  
“I’m not strong,” Marco replied softly, resting the side of his head against Ace’s. “There’s nothing strong about getting through losing you. I never got over it, I never would have.”   
  
There were regrets there, Ace could tell, but he didn’t press. He knew of them on a base level, but he couldn’t bear to hear them right now. His heart ached for Marco so much already.   
  
“Even when you weren’t there, it never felt as if the world was without you,” Marco said softly, voice low. It pooled through Ace’s veins, dripping against his skin, and he stroked his fingers across the back of Marco’s hand.   
  
He didn’t know what it was like, the world without him. It had been easy, really, for Ace. One moment he’d been alive and the next he’d been dead. That was it. Years had passed without him knowing, and sure he had shit to deal with, but he didn’t know a world where the man he loved had died. Despite what he thought, Marco was stronger than he’d ever know.   
  
“I never meant to leave you,” Ace admitted, and he smiled against Marco’s skin as a hand smoothed through his hair. It was still too short for his liking, but it had grown enough that the sea breeze could lift it slightly, and that fingers could run through it. Finger pads dipped against Ace’s scalp, and he sighed fondly, tightening his grip on Marco’s hand.   
  
“I know you didn’t,” Marco said, quietly. A breeze swirled around them, shivers blossoming over Ace’s skin, and the sound of laughter and sloshing oars caught their attention.   
  
“Someone else is coming back,” Ace muttered, pulling back from Marco’s cheek. Marco just nodded, and Ace led them inside, before anyone else could find them. He wanted this to be their time, just the two of them alone. Marco followed, taking two hop-steps to catch up properly, and soon they were outside their door, leaning against each other like young idiots in love.   
  
They could hear the sound of crewmates on-board shouting and singing, someone obviously still trying to carry on the party despite others in the group shushing them, and Ace felt like doing something bold.   
  
He let go of Marco’s hand, reattaching it as he looped both hands around Marco’s neck, pulling him close once more. He took a step back, breathed in, and then another, breathed out. His back was almost touching the door now, and Ace pressed his lips together as he made the final step. His back hit the wood the same time he kissed Marco, and while his initial thought was to panic and flee, get the wood away from him, turn around and save himself, Marco was there too, grounding Ace.   
  
They broke after a short kiss, Marco’s lips wet. He wiped them with a slight frown, wrinkling his nose.   
  
“You’re gross,” he muttered, and Ace smirked, poking his tongue out slightly, searching Marco’s eyes. “And I’m going to kiss you again,” Marco added, leaning back in and catching the tip of Ace’s tongue with his own. Ace shifted, deepening the kiss, and this time his back hitting the wood only jittered his nerves rather than spiking through them.   
  
He could do this. Ace would do this. He wanted to do this, wanted to get better and have a life with Marco and the rest of his family. He didn’t want his past clouding his future, and Ace was going to work at it now.   
  
He was going to be free.   
  
.   
  
There was something wrong with Ace. Well, aside from the whole back from the dead thing of course. Marco had never expected that particular issue to be easy to get over (even if it was something that Ace could get over), but this was something more. It was something integral to him, and Marco had noticed.   
  
Ace refused to use his power. Marco knew he still had the power, remembered seeing the backs of his arms curl with flame on the beach that night they reunited with Izō’s division. He also remembered Ace’s face, and the relief he’d shown when someone had pushed him into the sea.   
  
Marco cleared his throat, staring out at sea. He was perched up as high as he could on the ship, fully shifted to his bird form. There was a ship far out, further than any human would be able to see, but it didn’t look like it was headed their way. He had one eye on it though, as he mulled over his thoughts.   
  
Ace didn’t like his power, was the conclusion that Marco came to. Something about his power scared Ace, made him feel like he was losing control, and Marco shifted uncomfortably. He ruffled his feathers, resisting the urge to preen one of the primaries that was slightly out of place, and kept his gaze trained on the ship. It was a marine ship, though what it was doing out here was anyone’s guess.   
  
So Ace was having trouble with his fire, so what? The last time he’d properly used it had probably been against Akainu. Marco couldn’t fault Ace from not wanting to use his fire after that, though there was something else there. It wasn’t just trouble or fear holding Ace back, but Marco couldn’t put his finger on what it really was.   
  
With a sigh, Marco shifted to preen his wing feather back into place, stretching his wings while he was at it. He clacked his beak and made a low noise in his throat, blinking as his gaze settled back on the ship. He stretched his neck as he saw that it had changed its course, and was up in the air in an instant, wanting to make sure before he alerted the crew. Nope, yep, the marine ship had definitely spotted them and was headed this way.   
  
Marco landed half-transformed beside Jozu, nodding in the direction of the oncoming ship. His voice carried as he spoke, and instantly the crew perked up, everyone hastening to finish the important jobs and grab their weapons. It had been a while since they’d fought a marine ship, and even Marco felt excitement curl in his belly.   
  
Running through their plan -cannons, grappling hooks, Marco plus a small team getting over there to lead the attack – was simple. Marco revelled in it, realising this was his first real test of returning to being a captain. _The_ captain, truthfully, and he was strangely looking forward to it.

Their plan was simple, and Marco was up in the air before the cannons went off. He circled the ship looking for Ace, and he found him stretching beside Jozu, keeping up a one-sided conversation as he did so. He paused for Marco, though, waving with a huge grin, as if this was the best present anyone could have gotten him.

It had been a long while since they’d fought, and while Marco knew the last fight for Ace (last few fights to be fair) hadn’t exactly been something he’d want to experience, they were pirates. They were born fighters, and nothing could hold them back from taking what was theirs.

Particularly if they were marines in their waters.

It wasn’t a hard fight. The marines, despite being stationed in the New World, were green and balked from the moment they realised exactly who was on board the ship. No doubt they were new recruits on a practice run, or even a supply run, and Marco felt a slight stir of pity roll through him.

Of course, that lasted as long as it took for one of them to announce his name, which was all of one second. Seeing no point in hiding, Marco took to the skies as the rest of the crew threw grappling hooks at the marine ship and began rolling out the planks.

For the start, Marco just watched his men as they picked off the marines. Most were just hauled over the side of the ship or knocked unconscious, though Marco noted a few fatalities. There was always the slight pang he felt when he saw the loss of human life, but they were the enemy, and Marco was a pirate. He wasn’t the sort to be sentimental about the death of a marine, and they’d all drink to their worthy opponents at a later date.

He saw Jozu back on the Moby, arms crossed as he ordered the returning crew around, helping to organise their loot. Supplies were coming thick and fast, and Marco grinned. There would be some decent stuff in there, he knew, and he decided to join the fray.

He landed heavily beside Ace, who was in the centre of the brawl, a marine under each arm as he spun them around, grinning. He turned to Marco and dropped his cargo, laughing freely, and the sound warmed Marco to the core. Here, in this carnage and chaos, Ace didn’t have to think about who he was or what had happened – he could just be.

The marines had never stood a chance, and it wasn’t long before Marco was running off of the ship, wings unfurling as he took to the skies. He could see Ace watching him from below, delight on his face, and Marco made sure to fly overhead as he crossed back to the Moby, tail feathers brushing the top of his head.

They celebrated their victory as they pulled away from the marine ship, all those capable of sailing tied up. They’d get free eventually, probably, but the New World was unpredictable. There was no chance of knowing if they’d make it, and Marco honestly did not care. One less marine was one less problem, as far as he was concerned.

They still honoured the dead, however, even if the only casualties had been on the enemy’s side. It was respect, and Marco led them all in a drink, an old ditty rising from the group as Marco poured a drink for the sea. The song hummed over the ship, and Marco could feel it in his bones, a song to send them to their sleep at the bottom of the sea, and his eyes caught Ace’s as he looked across the deck.

Did Ace know how they’d struggled through this song for him and Whitebeard? Did he know how Marco’s hands had shaken so much he’d dropped the entire glass into the sea rather than pour the drink? Did he know that Marco, and so many others, had broken down (again) right there on the deck and been unable to get up for hours?

Of course not, and Marco never wanted him to know. Ace didn’t deserve that. He’d suffered enough and was still suffering.

Because Marco had seen, and Marco had noticed. Not once had Ace used his fire, not even a flicker of a flame. He certainly still had his power, as evidenced by the party with Izō’s division, but he hadn’t used it. There was no reason that Ace wouldn’t use his fire – he’d revelled in it before, even crafting his own boat so it would run exclusively on his devil fruit. Ace had loved his power, had confessed that it had freed him, so for him to not use it…

It was curious. Marco set the glass on the side of the railing, holding it as he poured himself another drink. He lifted the glass when the song finished, toasting to their life now, and it wasn’t long before the sound of jolly music swept the deck free of short-lived mourning.

Ace, naturally, came to Marco’s side, or maybe it was Marco who had wandered over to Ace. It was hard to say, but Marco hardly minded. He smiled as Ace poured himself a drink, lounging back on the deck beside Marco, watching as a group tried to beat Jozu at cards.

“With a poker face like that,” Ace said, bumping Marco’s shoulder. Marco hummed in agreement, and maybe it was due to the alcohol, or maybe he was just feeling particularly bold, but he had to know.

“Ace, why…” he trailed off when Ace looked at him, eyes wide. He looked refreshed, as if the weight that had been holding him down since they’d been reunited had been shed, and Marco knew he couldn’t ask. He needed to give Ace time, his own curiosity be damned.

“Why what?” Ace asked, sipping his drink and smiling as a groan erupted from the circle of card players.

Marco sighed, smiling softly as one of Ace’s arms wound their way around his torso, hand curling at his hip. Ace shifted closer and closer, and Marco’s hand joined Ace’s, curling over his fingertips.

“Why are you sitting here when we all know you’d wipe the floor at cards,” Marco said, instead of picking a fight, instead of pushing Ace. Instead of Ace becoming defensive and uncomfortable, he squeezed Marco and laughed lightly.

“We all know I’m shit at cards,” he said, and Marco frowned, protesting that completely. He leant his head to the side, temple resting against Ace’s, and he closed his eyes when Ace spoke, the words rolling through him.

“You only lose because you’re always distracted watching me and not focusing on the game,” Ace said sagely, and Marco felt the world narrow to the two of them.

“You got me there,” he admitted.

There would be other times to confront Ace about the fire. For now, Marco was going to enjoy the moment they had.

.

Almost everyone had headed back inside, but Ace lingered with Marco, nodding to the crew who would be manning the ship through the night as they made their way to their posts. It was late, but there was enough light still for it to be peaceful, everyone minding their own business as they got on with whatever they wanted.

Somehow, Ace found himself and Marco towards the back of the ship, all alone and slowly cleaning the deck. It wasn’t a great job, but it was one that had to be done, and Ace was enjoying finding odd things people had dropped. There wasn’t much in the bag Marco had slung over his shoulder, but what they had found had been interesting enough to hold their attention for a few moments.

Ace watched as Marco crouched down, picking something up from the corner of the deck, where it had been wedged between planks of wood. He wrinkled his nose, passing the scrap of paper to Ace. He looked down, rolling his eyes at what was evidently part of someone’s porn collection. A busty, pouting woman winked up from the piece of paper, and Ace was glad it had been torn off at her midsection.

“What idiot brings their porn out on the main deck,” Ace muttered, ripping the paper into shreds. He walked to the edge of the ship, Marco following a few steps behind. He let the paper free on the breeze and leant over the rail, watching the sea churn as their Moby ploughed through the waves.

“I do remember you ran a tight ship in your division,” Marco said, and Ace shrugged, letting his hand drop over the rail. The breeze caught against his fingers, and Ace closed his eyes.

“That I did,” he murmured, thinking of all the good his supposed tight command had done him. One backstabbing deserter and a road to disaster, that’s what.

“I want you to have the position again,” Marco said, and Ace opened his eyes slowly, a heavy weight dropping on his shoulders as he mulled the words over.

“That’s a joke,” Ace said, half-turning. “Right?”

Marco didn’t look like he was joking one bit. He shook his head, and Ace turned fully, his back to the sea. What was Marco playing at?

“You want me to be the captain of the second division?” Ace said, wanting clarification. His gut churned in the second pause Marco took to answer, because there was no way Marco could want Ace, of all people, to return to a position of power, not after everything he’d done, not after he’d ruined everything, not after he’d died, not after-

“Yes,” Marco said, and Ace felt the world splinter, shatter and fall.

“No,” Ace returned, clenching his fists as he felt his control slipping. The sea breeze was nothing to him now, skin heating and crackling, fire burning inside of him and calling to be let loose, to do what it was supposed to do and burn, burn, burn.

“You’re a great leader,” Marco said, and Ace felt sick. “Your men respect you, a lot of them came to me already to ask when you’d be taking up your position again.” Ace shuddered, one of his hands curling against his stomach, just in case he really was going to throw up.

“I told them I didn’t know your intentions, and they left it at that,” Marco said calmly, as if he wasn’t set upon destroying everything Ace had carefully worked for the past few weeks. Ace glanced over his shoulder, down at the sea. There was no way he’d be able to get out if he jumped. The sea was too rough, the boat going too fast. He needed to control himself, fight his fire down.

“No,” Ace repeated, and for a moment he calmed, thinking Marco would leave him to it, that this conversation was over. His fire soothed, skin prickling as the power receded, and then it was back, spiking with Marco’s next words.

“I’d respect your decision if I didn’t know better,” Marco said, and Ace felt as if he’d been slapped in the face. He took a step forward, then another, before he realised what he was doing, shoving past Marco. He could get to the shower room, that was safe, there was water there. His fire would be put out by fresh water too, right?

“Ace!” Marco called, and Ace stilled, heart pounding in his ears. “Why won’t you talk about this?”

Marco had always been the one to listen. Ace had always gone to Marco, even for the most trivial things. Switching up his brand of toothpaste? He’d gone to Marco. Talking about conquering a fleet belonging to their enemy? He’d gone to Marco. Wanting a second opinion on a gut feeling? Marco. The fact that Ace was running (because he was running, he’d admit that much) meant this was something big, and Marco knew that, of course he did.

“Ace,” Marco said again, softer this time. His voice was full of worry, and when Ace turned back around – because he had to, this was Marco and he loved Marco and would do anything for Marco and a hundred other reasons – he could see the fear plain as day once more. He was scared of many things, Ace thought, and it was killing Ace that he was the cause of all of them.

Maybe he should just have stayed dead.

“Ace,” Marco repeated, and Ace gritted his teeth. He could feel his heart pounding, and his breath suddenly wasn’t enough. His chest heaved as he tried to gulp air in, but it wasn’t working. It was too late, and there was nothing Ace could do to stop the fire licking at his insides, coiling against his skin and breaking past.

He was losing control, and there was nothing that could stop it unless he jumped in the sea. Ace’s wide eyes locked with Marco’s, and he struggled to speak, wordlessly shaking his head. Nothing was working, his feet wouldn’t move as his fire threatened to burst free, his mouth wouldn’t speak, nothing was working and Ace felt his panic deepen.

Marco’s eyes darted across Ace’s body, trying to figure out what was wrong, and he took a step closer. Ace’s hand shot out on instinct, trying to stop Marco getting closer, and surprise shook him when he realised that he could move. He looked down at his hand, and then Ace’s fear doubled as he saw sparks crackling between hairs on his arm, flames beginning to lick pathways between freckles. His eyes shot to Marco, and Ace forced every bit of power he had left in him to speak.

“The sea,” he croaked, jerking as his fire curled in on itself, threatening to burst free.

“The sea,” he said again, quietly this time, like the calm before a storm. Ace could feel the fire against his back now, right before it was about to tear free of him. He could feel its heat and its power, power that he couldn’t control, couldn’t solve anything with. “The sea!” he said urgently, trying to reach for Marco. He couldn’t move, though, not with the fire right there against him.

“The sea?” Marco asked, eyes clouded with confusion as he just _watched_. He was watching Ace burn, just standing there doing nothing. Anger blew through Ace, and he knew that was it. There was nothing he could do.

He was a timebomb, and his time was up.

“Please,” Ace let out, and his fire calmed. It hadn’t been smothered, though, and Ace could feel it bubbling in his veins, readying itself to release. It was too late now, far too late.

Ace looked down as he felt his fire shift. It started in his fingertips, burning bright and blazing. He could hear its crackle and power as it spread across his arms, too fast and too wild for Ace to even try and control. His breath heaved as he felt it cross his chest, dip down and then swirl across his scars, and then Ace was reaching for Marco, pleading with him, words he had no idea of spilling from his throat as he gripped Marco’s arm.

“I’m not going to do that,” Marco’s voice said, firm and ripping through the mindless panic. Ace looked at him in a daze, and he let go of Marco slowly. He felt the fire fade from his fingers, and this was what Ace had been trying to avoid the entire time.

He’d been aware of it when he’d woken up, of course he had. Fire always left a mark, and while Ace had been disoriented and confused when waking up, he’d recognised the burn of his fire. It had gotten him out of his grave, true, but it had done more.

Perhaps it had something to do with his mental state, but his fire lapped at the scars Marineford had left. Ace could feel his skin churning under the fire, in a strange state between human and flame, and he knew his fire was trying to fix the damage, make Ace good again. He couldn’t be good though, not with demon blood in his veins and his sins on his back. This was his punishment, his deliverance, and Ace felt his knees give way as he _burned_.

It didn’t hurt, not in the way Marineford had hurt him. He couldn’t even feel the heat or the burning of flesh, because he wasn’t burning. Ace was trying to heal, and he felt his control slipping as he set his palms on the deck, fire covering the entirety of his torso.

“Ace,” Marco said, but Ace didn’t have the strength to look up anymore, not to a man who had refused to help him when he’d needed it. He was going to char and crumble, and that was that.

Except, something strange happened. Ace felt the press of a hand on his chest, in the centre of his scar, and then another press on his back. He wanted to shake the hands off, tell Marco to leave him if he wasn’t going to throw him to the sea, but he couldn’t. Ace was exhausted, barely able to breathe or think, and he scrunched his eyes up. He felt his head rest against Marco’s shoulder, and he could feel something else.

It started like a whisper, something small skittering across Ace’s ribs. It danced in the dips of his bones for a moment before sinking in deeper, soaking across Ace’s skin. It was nothing like the sea, and yet his fire calmed because of it. Ace felt himself come back to his body, his fire dwindling and dying out, as if he was in control of it. It was such a natural feeling, coming back to himself, that Ace even mourned the control of his fire, as he’d always used to. He’d loved his fire before, and something was easing in his head, as if the calmness flooding him was sorting him out, putting Ace back together how he should be, not what he was.

Taking in a deep breath and trying to steady himself, Ace opened his eyes slowly. He was still shaking, still unnerved, but his fire had receded, done as he’d wished. Marco was there, holding Ace, and he stared at the fabric of Marco’s shirt for a long while, trying to breathe normally. If he could even remember how.

It came back to him eventually, a small trickle of relief. Ace felt his muscles relax as he began to breathe properly, and he managed to push back from Marco slightly, just enough to sit back on the floor, looking up.

“I couldn’t throw you in the sea,” Marco said, and Ace looked at him sharply. He wasn’t sure he wanted to hear this, but he hardly had a choice, did he? Marco looked regretful, and Ace noticed how he refused to look in his direction, eyes skirting the floor. Was he that disgusted with Ace?

“I couldn’t help you,” Marco said, words bitter. “I don’t know what I’d have done if I could have thrown you in the sea, but I couldn’t.”

He looked up, and Ace frowned. What was Marco talking about?

“If I’d thrown you in the sea, or even tried to dip you in or whatever…” Marco took a deep breath, resettling himself so that he was sitting with his legs stretched towards Ace’s. “If I’d done that, you would have died. I can’t fight the sea.”

The realisation hit Ace and his lips parted. He hadn’t been thinking of that, not even a little bit. But of course – of course Marco couldn’t have done that. There was no way he could have given Ace to the sea, and Ace felt horror crawl under his skin, settling with the sins.

“Don’t,” Marco said softly, his gaze softening as he met Ace’s eyes. “Don’t blame yourself.”

No matter what, Marco always understood him, and Ace felt tears well. He was too tired for this, too exhausted, and yet here Marco was, always before him, always at his side, always at his back.

“Why do you do this,” Ace asked, letting his head fall into his hands. He didn’t deserve this. He wasn’t worth it. Not for someone like Marco.

“I didn’t spend our time apart sitting doing fuck all,” Marco said instead, and Ace felt his eyelashes curling against his palms as he dug his eyes into his hands. “The whole time I wondered what would have happened if I could just share my power.”

Ace let colours dance behind his eyelids as he waited for Marco to continue.

“It’s not a permanent solution, what I learnt, but it’s something. For a moment, I can use my power on someone. I can _heal_ someone, hold it long enough that they can get to a doctor without fucking dying.” Marco let out an odd sound, something close to a sob, and Ace let his hands fall, looking up slowly.

“I kept thinking… if I’d just been able to get there, been able to give you even the tiniest part of myself, then you would have been okay. Somehow, if we’d had more time, we could have saved you.” Marco’s shoulders slumped, and Ace tried to comprehend the entirety of the situation.

He hadn’t really thought about Marco properly in the grand scheme of things. He’d known Marco had mourned, had suffered, and was glad to have Ace back, but he hadn’t _thought_ about it. He hadn’t thought about how a man with the power of regeneration had lost someone he loved before his eyes, and how he’d been utterly powerless.

“You couldn’t have done anything,” Ace said blankly, conviction filling his chest. “No one could.”

Marco gave him a bitter smile, and Ace could see he hated himself, how he’d suffered these years, all because he hadn’t been able to stop fate.

“I didn’t even try,” Marco said, the words spilling from him as if they were a terrible confession. “I watched you fall from your brother’s arms, and I didn’t even _try_.”

There was nothing Ace could say to that. There was no comfort to be found between them here, but things were becoming clearer.

“So what if you can’t fight the sea,” Ace said. His voice was flat, and he only just about had energy to move his foot so that it knocked against Marco’s. He looked up at that, looking about as exhausted and haggard as Ace felt. And probably looked, for that matter.

“So what if you can’t fight the past,” Marco shot back, and Ace jolted as if he’d been electrocuted.

It wasn’t the same though. Marco not being able to save him was nothing like Ace dragging them to Marineford. There was nothing Marco could have done to stop it, but if Ace hadn’t done so many things then they wouldn’t have had to suffer. Why couldn’t Marco see that? It wasn’t the same at all.

“Stop it,” Marco said tiredly, and Ace’s thoughts ground to a halt. “You haven’t changed one bit.”

Ace opened his mouth to speak, to deny that. He had changed so much since death. He was… he was… he had to have changed.

“You’re sitting there hating yourself, aren’t you,” Marco said, and his voice was soft, loving even. “After all this time, you’re still doubting whether you deserve to be alive.”

Ace felt his skin crawl, but this had nothing to do with his out of control powers or memories of Marineford. This was something that was deeper, something that had been with him since the moment he was born. This was something that sat at the heart of Ace and webbed its way through everything he did.

Yet there Marco was, commenting on it as if it was the very essence of Ace, as if it was the core of why he loved him so much and so beautifully. Ace had no idea how he could love something so disgusting and fucked up, and yet there he was, leaning forwards to simply look at Ace.

“I can’t throw you in the sea when your fire gets too much. I can’t heal you properly for it to count; what I did back there just calmed you enough for you to regain control. I can’t take back the past and change the fact that I lost you,” Marco said firmly, and Ace felt his heart thud in his chest.

“What I can do,” Marco said, his voice breaking, but he never took his eyes off of Ace, his gaze conveying everything Ace had missed in the past few years. “What I will do is always love you.”

And while things were far from alright, and they still had so much shit to talk about and process, Marco’s words soaked into Ace’s skin, vibrating in his ears and into the very marrow of his bones. He’d known it, all of what Marco had said, but it meant something being said in the space between them, something beautiful and wonderful and hopeful.

Perhaps he wasn’t meant to be alive, and maybe Ace did truly carry the blood of a demon, but what did that matter? He had someone who loved him, through thick and thin and his darkest moments. He had Marco, brilliant, beautiful Marco, who proved time and time again that he’d never let Ace down.

Ace wanted to be someone worthy of that love. He wanted to be someone who could stand level with Marco and lead their crew. He wanted to be someone who could keep step with his brothers too, for someone had to keep Luffy in check, even with Sabo returned to them. He wanted to be someone he could be proud of.

Most of all, though, he wanted to live.

.


End file.
